Nina
by Mianne
Summary: An Alternate Reality story set in modern times. RomanceTragedyActionAdventure. Nina Harker is a modern university student who falls for the King of the Undead. Novel format, please R
1. Nina and John

Nina Harker smiled as her fiancée John ran over to her. The sun streamed all over her dark brown hair and into her dark eyes, and soon it became too bright to bear. She slipped on her sunglasses as he collapsed on the ground beside her.

"Hey," he said, smiling. "I just had an amazing psych class. Prof Klein is so awesome."

"Great," she said, stroking his light, breezy locks. "I'm glad that you're enjoying it."

"It's amazing. However, Nina, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

Nina and John were in their last year of University, and were making plans to get married in the summer. It had just turned to spring, and the trees were slowly starting to bud and blossom. It was Nina's favourite season. She was not a great beauty, but she had pretty features, and she was compassionate and caring, if not a bit oversensitive.

"Well, Professor Harding wanted me to go to the Transylvanian embassy and set up some paperwork with a Count who just arrived. He's looking into setting up a new building on campus, and as the top student in his law class, I've been asked to go."

"Really? How long will you be gone for?"

"It should be no more than a week, I promise you."

Nina was, as previously mentioned, a little sensitive. She hated to be separated from her boyfriend, especially since he was so incredible. He was smart, tall, good looking, if not a little arrogant, but he took good care of her. They were a good match, with her sweet, yielding nature and his strong side. But that didn't stop her from starting.

"John, it's my birthday on Friday, I thought we were going out."

"I know, hon, I know, but this could get me into any law firm I want, that's what Harding said, anyways. This is really important to me, and I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Nina sighed. "Fine. I understand."

He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, sweetheart! I promise I'll make it up to you."

"So what's the name of this count that you're going to meet?"

"Count Dracula, from the Castle Dracula. Isn't this awesome? I'm going to meet nobility!"

She smiled, happy for him. "Where are you staying? Obviously you can't be at the embassy."

"He's got some property north of the campus, about an afternoon's drive. It's a huge estate deep in the backwoods, where all those stories take place."

Nina knew all about these. The halls were rich with stories about up north, and the strange activities there. There was apparently a very religious Amish group who warned travelers to stay away, and many other urban legends.

"Well, be careful, and don't accept any rides from ghosts," she warned.

He laughed, and checked his watch. "I gotta go to Economics now," he said. He kissed her lightly on the lips and gathered his stuff. "I'll see you later, Nina."

"Love you," she called after him. Nina sighed. It was sometimes a little annoying how she always came second to his activities, but she knew that once university was over, she would be his top priority.

Or so she hoped.

"Hey, girl," came a friendly voice, and Nina saw her friend Lucy approaching. Lucy was a tall, beautiful black girl with a tough attitude and soft heart. "Why are you looking like you just lost your best friend?"

"Well, I obviously couldn't have," said Nina, smiling at her. "I'm fine. John's just going to be missing my birthday to take care of some paperwork with some Transylvanian Count, so I'm a little disappointed."

"Just a little?" said Lucy. "Girl, you have got to stand up to that boy! He is just walking all over you and you are loving it!"

"He does not," she protested, opening up her latest read, Jane Eyre.

"He does so, and your head is too stuck in a book to notice. You can't marry him when he still hasn't grown up! Assert yourself!"

"Whatever, Lucy, it doesn't bother me, I don't know why it should bother you."

"Humph," said Lucy. And Nina knew that was the end of that. "You should come stay with me while he's off gallivanting with some stupid Count."

Lucy had a beautiful apartment off campus. Her father was a wealthy tycoon who lived in LA, while Lucy was a free spirit who decided to come up north to Canada to escape her father's wealth and mood swings.

"Sure!" Said Nina, excited. "That sounds awesome! We can rent movies and eat popcorn and stuff, like we used to." Before John had come into her life.

"Just no girly movies, okay?" Stated Lucy. "We're going to toughen you up."

Nina just smiled in response and turned back to her book. She had just started the nineteenth chapter when she noticed two marks on the side of Lucy's throat as she gathered up her books.

"What happened to you?" Demanded Nina, concerned. "What is that?"

"I don't know, I think a couple mosquitoes may have gotten in last night."

"Luce, there are no mosquitoes at this time of year."

She shrugged. "Whatever. It doesn't hurt. See you later, Nina!"

Nina turned back to her book, the marks leaving her mind. Soon, she was enveloped into Jane's world, where she wasn't walked over and everything was free.


	2. Farewell

I feel a little bad because I didn't introduce my story. It is a typical Mianne tradition to announce my work and the reason why I wrote it. The reason I wrote my modern version of Bram Stoker's Dracula is because Dracula is one of my favourite novels, and I love the characters. I hope I am doing them justice, but it is up to the reviewer to decide that.

I don't own these characters.

This is not after the movie version, but more like the book. I haven't seen the book and was stunned when I found out that they had portrayed Mina as a carnation of Elisabeta. She was never in the book, Elisabeta, that is. Weird.

I'll give you a more detailed analysis of Mina's character soon.

Here we go:

Nina shuffled her notes as she sat down in her English lit class. She smiled at the other students in the class and received multiple smiles in return. Nina Harker had never been rude to anyone in her entire life.

She listened to her Prof lecture with a dreamy rapture, enjoying it as the characters wrapped themselves around her mind and took her away from her problems.

Nina had been raised in a poor household in Toronto, with an abusive father and alcoholic mother. She decided at the age of twelve to escape, and began working. She finally gained enough to go to University, and decided upon one in Ottawa, nearest to the capital. All the embassies were close by, and she absolutely loved the scenery.

She was finally free. She met her best friend, Lucy Westenra, a tough talking street girl who grew up wealthy but only "rapped with her girlfriends," as she put it, refusing to live the life of a debutante.

And on the first day of her second year, she had met John. She had seen him before on debates and other gatherings, but here she finally met him. She had accidentally spilt some juice on him, and at first angry because she soiled his Armani shirt, he later turned sweet and romantic. Nina fell for him straight away.

Two years later, he proposed, and she had accepted. He was on his way to becoming one of the top lawyers in the country, and helping this Count build a new hall on campus was really going to make his resume complete.

She sighed happily, and the Prof smiled at her, thinking that her favourite student was thinking about Romeo and Juliet. However, Nina was somewhere else, completely.

John absolutely adored her sweetness. He took care of her, and was completely attentive to only her. When Nina was by his side, there was no one else in the room...except for Profs and other members of firms across the nation.

Nina flipped her hair over her shoulder to keep it from straying into her eyes. She glanced at the ancient clock and noticed that class was over. She began to stuff her notes back into her backpack and shouldered it, buttoning up her denim jacket.

Back on the main campus, she met up with Lucy, who was smiling.

"Hi," she said. "You know that guy in Socio who's from Alabama? Morris, everyone calls him, because his first name sucks. Quincy. Ew. But anyways, he asked me out, and I said no, because of Arthur, you know?" Lord Arthur Holmwood was another rich debutante, nobility, as a matter of fact, from England. He and Lucy had been friends from a young age, yet she wasn't sure if he was still only interested in being friends.

"Anyways, he told me how much he respected my decision, and asked if I was in love with another, in that really cute accent of his. I said yes (as you know I'm honest), but I wasn't sure if he felt the same way. Morris told me to go for it, and he would always be my friend, and would never again confess these feelings. I'm so glad. He's such a sweetie, and I'm glad to have a guy like him to bounce around with if things get boring or uninteresting."

Nina smiled. "I'm glad that worked itself out. John leaves tonight for a week."

"I know, you told me. I can't believe he's missing your birthday. That's so typical male. You should smack him upside the head."

Nina laughed. "Yeah, right. And spare you the opportunity?"

"Of what?" came a voice from behind them. John was there, sporting his typical grin.

"Of this," said Nina, reaching up and kissing him gently. She could hear Lucy making gagging sounds in the background, but didn't care. This would be the last time she would see him in a while.

Already, he was saddled up in his favourite business coat, a charcoal trench that gave him a distinguished appearance. He also carried his portfolio and laptop case, and she was suddenly struck with pride. He loved her and was about to do incredible things.

"I love you," she whispered up against him. "You be careful."

"I love you too," he replied. "And I will be." With that, he crossed over into the parking lot, where his nice new sedan was parked. He honked as he drove by, and Mina and Lucy waved.

"He's such a jerk," said Lucy disdainfully. "You deserve better."

Nina sighed. There was no convincing Lucy once she got started. "Okay, Lucy, whatever you say."

"Come on, you, let's go watch five hours straight of action films," instructed Lucy, and together, they trotted along to her shiny Porsche, unaware of the pair of eyes that watched Nina's every move.


	3. Dracula

I don't really like how I started this, so I'm going to try and make it a whole lot better.

Enjoy!

John Murray pulled up to the Count's residence far up north of the campus. The estate impressed him: trees, a lake, surrounded it and the mansion itself was a huge, crumbling building with gorgeous architecture. It was more like a castle than a mansion.

He drove through two massive gargoyles flanking the sides of the road, dead leaves swirling around the tires. Spring didn't seem to have touched this beautiful, yet somewhat intimidating, landscape. The trees were still bare, and the only ones that were green were the pines and other evergreens.

He parked his car just off to the side of the massive double doors and parked, exiting the car with his typical walk of confidence and skill.

John cleared his throat as he assertively knocked on the door, and started with surprise when they opened and no one was standing there. Or so he thought.

"Welcome," came a young, deep voice, "to my humble home. Please, enter of your own free will."

John stepped in, and was immediately accosted by a young man of about twenty, with dark, long hair tied back in a ponytail, with a buttoned up shirt with three buttons undone, and black jeans. John registered him as being an extremely attractive young male, but with no interest. He shook hands confidently.

"Thank you, your grace."

"Please, please, just Dracula will do just fine," he said, smiling, revealing extremely white teeth.

"You don't go by your first name?" Asked John mildly.

"I haven't been known by that name for centuries. Dracula will do. I've drawn up your supper, if you'll have it now."

"It would be impolite to refuse," said John. "Where should I put my coat and things?"

"Just leave them in the entrance, they'll be taken up to your room. This way, please."

John was lead into a huge dining chamber, complete with large, golden chandelier and large dining table. A candelabrum was lit in the centre, and a full meal was sitting at the seat beside the head. Dracula himself took the head, while John seated himself in front of the steaming meal.

"Please, begin," said Dracula. "I've already eaten."

John ate heartily, while sneaking in conversation. "Are your parents here with you?" He asked, biting into his beef.

"No, they died a very long time ago, and now I am the sole owner of the entire Dracula estate. I came to Canada to settle here and...leave my impact."

"You'll certainly do that by building new halls on campus. You'll be the most popular noble in the country."

"Popularity is a meagre and fickle thing, Mr. Murray."

"Please, just John."

"All right, then, John. And have you family here yourself?"

"Yes, my father and mother, and I'm soon to take a wife."

"Oh? You are to be married?"

"Yes, to a beautiful young woman named Nina." He rummaged through his pockets until he found his wallet, and pulled out a small photo from the inside plastic. He handed it to the Count, who stared at it intensely.

After a few minutes of silence, John was confused. It wasn't an amazing picture. It was just one of Nina sitting down by the lake, her eyes lost in thought, and completely unaware that he was taking the picture. After the flash had gone off, she had returned to reality, and had teased him about sneaking up on her. It really didn't do her justice, though. In reality she was much prettier and less spacey. Well, she was prettier, he wasn't sure about the spacey ness.

"So innocent," said Dracula, tracing the curve of her cheek. "You are a very lucky man, John, to be engaged to someone so angelic." He handed the picture back with what looked like reluctance.

"Do you believe in fate, John?" He asked, after John was taking the final bites of his meal.  
"You mean like astrology? The castings of the universe? No."

"A shame. You westerners seem to have lost all contact with the Mystic."

"Oh, well..."John didn't know how to reply. "So shall we get down to business?"

"You seem to be in such a rush, dear John. You may remain here as my guest for as long as you wish, with no heed to this business."

"Well, it's not that," he shifted uncomfortably. "You see, it's Nina's birthday this Friday, and I really don't want to have to miss it. She told me it would be alright if I did, (she's really understanding), but I would still prefer to be there for it."

Dracula looked at him with his piercing blue eyes. "Your Nina sounds perfectly sweet," he said. "I'd hate to deprive her of you." He stood up and directed John into a small parlour, with a large roaring fireplace and comfortable chairs.

"So, my friend, where are the papers?" demanded Dracula. John, with a swift motion, opened up his portfolio, drew out his pen, and began to outline the agreement.

"So sign here, and you get the old Carfax Abbey, which you as the client understand that it has been abandoned for decades, and two new pieces of land where you can build more halls."

"Excellent." Dracula took the pen and with a flourish, signed his name.

"Thank you very much," said John. "And congratulations, you are now the owner of these stunning pieces of property."

"I look forward to meeting the young generation of Canada," said Dracula, his teeth gleaming. "It will give me a chance to practice my English."

"Your English is superb," said John, and it was the truth. His accent was British, and you couldn't even tell that he was Transylvanian.

"Still, I would like to be able to blend in well, instead of being pointed out as an obvious stranger."

John shrugged. "So now that that's taken care of, would you excuse me to return back to the campus? I truly am unable to miss too many classes."

"And your darling Nina."

"Well, that too."

"I find it a boorish Western custom that the guest leave so abruptly. I insist that you stay one more night, kind friend, and take advantage of my hospitality."

"Well, that's very kind of you, but..."

"I assure you that all your needs will be taken care of. Greta!" He called suddenly. An astonishingly voluptuous young woman with huge curves and a tiny waist appeared. Her face was a beautiful one, with soft blonde hair and gleaming blue eyes. John immediately felt stirrings of lust.

"Greta, please show John up to his room, and take care of any requests he should have of you."

"Dracula, please, I must..." but the temptation was already too strong. His words faltered. "Well, I guess I could stay for one more night. But it _is_ Nina's birthday the day after tomorrow. I can leave no later than tomorrow night."

Dracula smiled. "Then leave you shall, but please enjoy the comforts of my home until that time."

John allowed himself to be lead by Greta up to his room. He almost managed to find words to strike up a conversation, but couldn't.

"There you are, sir," she said, where a large, four-poster bed was waiting. "Would you require anything else from me?"

John tore his eyes away from her bosom. "No, no thank you," he said with reluctance. She smiled, looked at him hungrily, and left the room.

John wandered around his new domain, taking it in. He had always wanted a home like this, one that everyone would envy. He pictured he and Nina in a room like this a few years from then, and the thought came easily. He walked over to the window, where there was a stunning view of the lake and the side of the castle.

He stood there, looking out into the moonlight, when suddenly, he noticed a black shape exiting a window on the side of the castle, slowly crawling down, face first, the steep walls. He exhaled sharply, and saw that it was the count, dressed entirely in old-fashioned black clothes and boots, and suddenly felt a tremor of fear. Who was this man?

He dismissed it. "He's probably just training for something," he said aloud, as he changed into a pair of boxer shorts and an old t-shirt. He snuggled into the sheets, which suddenly seemed ice cold. There was something wrong with this place that he just couldn't place his finger on.

Meanwhile...

"If I eat any more popcorn I'm going to barf," exclaimed Lucy, pretending to hurl into a pillow.

Nina smiled calmly. "I guess we should go to bed, then," she said.

"Ugh," Lucy groaned, clutching her stomach. "If you insist."

Lucy stumbled over to the security alarm and turned it on, before heading over to her room down the hall. Nina did the same.

"Night, Lucy," she called, and Lucy moaned in return. Nina settled down into the comfortable, Egyptian cotton sheets and pulled out her book. She nestled up against the sheets and read about ten pages before hearing a telltale thump from Lucy's room.

"Lucy?" She called.

"I'm fine, I just got up to go to the bathroom," came a weak, thin voice.

"Okay, Night!" There was no reply.

Nina turned off the light and snuggled deeper into the covers, enjoying the luxuries of Lucy's beautiful apartment. She would have to do this more often, she decided. Regardless of John. She hoped he would be okay with that.

Nina turned her gaze to the large French doors, and started when she saw a tall, lean, muscular figure standing there, looking in at her. She sat up hurriedly, and realized it was just her imagination. Still, it seemed so strange, and she felt no fear.

She lay back against the cotton, her mind blissfully empty, releasing all memory of the figure and slipping into sleep softly and peacefully.


	4. Heartbroken

I'm going to try to make this one longer, because I absolutely adore the book and I want to make this as amazing as possible! Thanks for your support and reviews. Once I clear fifteen reviews on this, I'll probably write more. Until then...let's just say I need that motivation! Enjoy, my friends!

When John woke up the next morning, his head seemed to pound and his body seemed weak. There was something wrong. He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom that branched into his room. He stared at the reflection and was astonished to see that he was deathly pale all over, as if he had been transformed into a ghost. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and the skin took a while sinking back into its normal position.

He splashed water onto his face to try to bring more blood into it and warm it up, but it didn't work. He was left feeling extremely cold, and he shivered, feeling extremely cold. He saw a housecoat hanging on a peg on the back of the door, so he donned it and managed to wobble downstairs.

He saw Dracula sitting there, his long legs propped up on an ancient coffee table and reading a newspaper. His black hair was tied back again, and he seemed more vitalized this morning, with brighter eyes and redder cheeks.

"Good morning," intoned Dracula, before doing a double take. "Goodness Gracious, what happened to you?"

John opened his mouth to respond, and only managed to feebly vomit. He felt himself collapsing when steel-strong arms grabbed him around the waist and steadied him.

"Careful, my friend," said Dracula, oddly calm. "Dear, dear, you are in no condition to return to your home of Ottawa today. You'll have to remain overnight again."

John moaned, trying to tell his host that he couldn't, but all he could do was nod.

Dracula's eyes flashed. "Then back to bed with you," he said. "Greta? Hazel? Come attend to our guest." Another extremely voluptuous woman joined Greta and together, they bore a very faint John back to his room.

Before he passed through the doorway, his housecoat shifted, revealing two fine pinprick marks on his neck.

When Nina woke up, it was nearly noon, according to the little radio clock beside her bed. She stretched and sat up fully, and headed into the kitchen. She found it beautifully white but empty. Not surprised, she reached over to turn on the coffee percolator. Lucy was always a heavy sleeper.

She was in the process of making pancakes when Lucy stumbled into the kitchen.

"God, I hate mornings," she groaned.

"Hon, it's technically not even morning any more," teased Nina.

"Ha ha, very funny," grumbled Lucy.

"What was that thump last night?" Nina asked, as she flipped the batter.

"What thump?"

"You know, when you had to go to the bathroom. Did you hit yourself or something?"

Lucy furrowed her brows. "I don't remember. Did I say that?"

"Um, I think so."

"Whatever," said Lucy. "I guess not."

She turned and scratched her collarbone, which attracted Nina's eyes to her neck. The two pinpricks from the day before were still there, but they seemed to be even fresher.

"Did you get bitten by some bugs again?" Nina asked, gesturing.

"What? Oh, damn mosquitoes!" She said, noticing the marks again.

"You should check your window screens," suggested Nina.

"I guess I'm just sweeter than you, since they like me better, what d'ya think of that?" She challenged.

Nina rolled her eyes and served breakfast. "Sure. Now eat up."

She took a few bites, and then paused. "Can you grab the syrup? And where's John taking you for your b-day?"

While Nina obliged, she replied, "I think we're just going to go out for dinner or something."

"You guys are getting engaged and you don't even know what you're doing together? I think you should just stand him up and go clubbing with me and my other girls. It'd be slamming."

Nina laughed. "Sure, I'll stand up the man of my dreams to go to a vibrant music-pulsing joint. No sweat."

"Hey, don't knock it," said Lucy. "You really should come."

"If John stands me up, then I'll come," giggled Nina. "Which will never happen."

"You never know," said Lucy, who also cracked a smile. "Come on, you wash, I'll dry."

"Hey, you got the easy job!" She protested.

Lucy flashed a devilish grin. "Oh yeah?" She said innocently. "Well take that!" And she flung her syrupy pancake at Nina. Soon, it turned into an all-out food fight, with Nina and Lucy rolling around in a combination of whipped cream, mustard, and pancake.

Meanwhile...

Dracula plugged the laptop into the wall, connecting it into the Internet. He didn't know why he had invested in buying such a foolish new invention, but now it seemed to serve an excellent purpose.

His prisoner was upstairs, and all was proceeding exactly as planned.

Except for one thing.

Nina.

He had never laid eyes on something so pure and innocent before, as sweet and angelic as this girl. His dark heart had skipped a beat on seeing her gentle, pensive face, and he wanted her. He wanted her to cherish in his heart, to warm his cold life.

Dracula had never used a laptop before, but he was a fast learner, and when sleep was barely a necessity, he used all those hours to read about computers. He clicked on John's e-mail account, and browsed through.

There was e-mail from the professor who was in charge of the campus real estate, congratulating John on the transaction, and saying that he had just received John's papers. There was a junk e-mail from some dating service, so Dracula deleted it. And there was an e-mail from Nina.

He opened it eagerly. He was curious if her character matched this blissful exterior. He read it thoroughly.

My Dearest John,

I hope that everything is going well for you at the Count's! I'm so happy for you that you've been given this opportunity to grow within the law program. I'm equally happy that you'll be back in time for Friday!

I spent the night at Lucy's, and we had a blast together. We even finished it off by having a full-out food fight! I missed you like crazy, but Lucy and I have decided that we'd still like to keep our little tradition of getting together. Is that all right with you???

Lucy's been having adventures because of how gorgeous she is! An American guy from her class, Morris, asked her out. Sadly, she had to say no. My heart goes out to that poor boy! She's still holding out hope for Arthur, even though she says he thinks they're just friends.

She's still on that kick that you don't deserve me, which is ridiculous.

She'll make a hilarious bridesmaid. Except I don't think she'd be caught dead in a flowery pink dress! Oh, and she said that if you stand me up on Friday, then she'll be taking me clubbing. So please don't subject me to that! It'd probably be at Vibrations, which is kind of notorious.

Anyways, my love, I have to get off to class, so I'll leave you with my undying love and prayers that you'll be home soon! E-mail me soon???

Love,

Nina

Dracula read it over and over, convincing himself more and more that Nina was absolute perfection. Just the thought of someone as kind as her brought light into the dark abyss of his being.

Making up his mind, he hit Reply and began to type an email in response.

Later...

Nina rushed out of her Drama class and ran to get to her computer. She logged on and saw an email from him just sitting in her Inbox.

It read:

Dearest Nina,

I regret to inform you that business has delayed me here at Dracula's. It is with great sorrow that I must tell you I will be staying much later than planned. Maybe later than a week or even a month.

I also must inform you that I have been thinking a lot about you and I, and I have decided that I must reflect more upon our relationship before making such a huge, long-term commitment. I'm sorry.

I remain sincerely yours,

John.

Nina gasped when she read the letter, and in a panic, hit print before dialling Lucy's cell phone.

"Yo," came Lucy's greeting.

"Where are you, Luce?" Sobbed Nina into the phone.

"Hang on, I'll be right over," promised Lucy.

Soon, she was sitting in the kitchen, holding the letter and patting Nina on the back.

"Don't worry, babe, it's probably just pre-marital jitters," she soothed.

"It just seems so cold and insensitive!" Cried Nina. "I mean, I thought we were in love! And all of a sudden, he decides he has to think about whether he is or not!"

"Sh, it's alright," said Lucy gently. "Look, he probably is just a little nervous, that's all, and he didn't know what he was saying. He also probably didn't want to tell you that he couldn't make your birthday, so he made it a little harsher."

Nina collapsed into tears again. "I forgot about that," she whimpered.

"Look, you, this means you're coming clubbing with me and the ladies tomorrow," said Lucy firmly. "No more feeling sorry for yourself. Just pure partying."

Nina sniffled. "I don't know...I'm not really in the mood..."

"Screw it. You're coming whether you like it or not."

Nina sighed. "Let me guess. Vibrations?"

"You know it. Pick out your hottest outfit and we'll celebrate your birthday without manly swine."

Nina managed a smile. "Sure."

A/N: You know the ultimatum. 15 reviews or no next chapter.

And you can guess you Nina meets at Vibrations. Hee hee hee.


	5. Vlad

I know I said fifteen reviews, but screw that!!!!!! I really, really want to write this, so I'm going to write it!!!!!! For those of you who are also confused in this chapter, Bram Stoker based his story based on the legend of Vlad the Impaler, who lived during the fifteenth century. I'm not entirely sure on the legend, it's written on the book cover of my copy, but I'm too lazy to get it.

Enjoy!

The pounding music pulsated throughout Nina's entire being and even by holding her hands over her ears she couldn't stop the pounding. She was beginning to get a headache. She and Lucy were in the middle of the dance floor, and Lucy was really trying to get Nina to work it.

"Come on, you can go lower than that!" Lucy shouted encouragingly, as she and Nina wiggled down to the floor.

Nina glared at her. "I should have never let you take me here!" She yelled over the music. "Not in this outfit, anyways!"

Lucy grinned mischievously. "You look hot, don't worry."

Nina groaned at the thought of her low cut halter-top and tight-fitting jeans, but was interrupted by Lucy grabbing both of her hands and spinning her around before moving sexily yet again. Lucy was thriving, and all eyes were on her and Nina, and Nina hated it.

"I'm going to go get a drink," Nina said, when the song ended. Immediately she and Luce were swamped with guys asking for a dance, but she fended them off with great success and headed to the bar.

She was about halfway there when the music started again, and she was rubbed up against the sweaty bodies of those who loved Vibrations. Trying very hard not to scream, Nina pushed harder to reach the bar, but was tripped by someone attempting to do the moonwalk.

Fighting a wave of terror, since she had heard stories about clubbers who had been trampled to death, Nina braced herself for the fall.

It didn't come.

A pair of steel arms had circled her waist, and held her suspended a few inches off of the ground. Nina sighed in relief, and then looked up to see who had kept her from meeting the bottoms of the clubbers feet.

She was met with a startling pair of dark, almost black eyes, that seemed so soulful and empty at the same time. She stayed there, barely a foot of the ground just looking into his eyes, until she pulled herself together.

"Thank you," she said, slowly. And slowly, she was lifted back to standing position. She tucked her hair behind her ears and cleared her throat. Examining him more, now that she was no longer entranced, she saw a tall, young man dressed in a black t-shirt that stretched across obviously built abs and dark jeans. He had dark hair that looked to be about shoulder-length tied back into a ponytail, which very chiselled features that made him exotically handsome.

"Um," said Nina. "Right. Thanks."

"Wait," he said, and grabbed her arm. She couldn't move, and his grip was rock-hard. "I feel like I owe you some form of introduction. My name is Vladimir. I'm an exchange student from...afar."

"Really? You sound British?" She couldn't believe she was having this conversation. "I have to go get a drink. You want ?" She couldn't believe that she was saying this.

"I would be honoured, Madam..."

"Nina."

"Nina. I would be honoured, Nina."

She marvelled at the absurdity of the situation as they reached the bar, and amazingly, there were two available stools sitting there. That's odd, thought Nina. These seats are always taken.

She sat down hesitantly, and Vladimir smiled at her.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," he said gently.

"It's not that I'm...wait, how did you know that?"

He shrugged.

"So where are you from?" Asked Nina.

"My family is from Transylvania. Well, maybe I shouldn't say this, but I am Prince Vladimir the Tenth, and I'm here only for a short time to learn more about the Western way of life and to attend school."

Nina's eyebrows rose. "A prince? Yeah right." But he looked back at her with no mirth. "Really?"

He nodded. "Now you know my secret, my lady Nina, and you must tell no one."

"Um, ok. Do you have any Canadian currency on you, um, your highness, or would you like me to get you a drink?"

"I would really like for you to call me Vlad, and I'll cover the drinks." He raised a finger and signalled the bartender, and he instantly came over.

"I'll have a Bloody Mary, and the lady will have..."

"Just a cooler, please."

"You drink lightly," he said. "An excellent quality. It's wise to keep one's wits about."

The bartender brought the appropriate drinks, and Vlad paid him with a one hundred dollar bill. Nina stared.

"Whoa," she said.

"Cheers, lady fair, to our meeting," said Vlad, lifting his glass.

The glass and bottle clinked merrily, and Nina took a sip while Vlad/Dracula surveyed her.

She had just begun to feel a little light-headed around this mysterious stranger when Lucy came bouncing over.

"Hey, hottie," she said to Nina. "And who's this?"

"Um, this is Vlad," she said, a little embarrassed. Lucy and Vlad looked at each other, and a little recognition passed through her eyes. "Have we met before?" Lucy asked him. He shook his head.

"Sorry, I'm just being stupid. Hey, girl, Arthur's here, and I think he may finally ask me out! You have fun, Nina, and don't forget to tell me if you happen to leave or something." She winked, and disappeared back into the crowd.

This left a rather red cheeked Nina back to her strange new acquaintance.

"You're friend Lucy is very intriguing," said Vlad. "But not nearly intriguing as you are."

"Oh," said Nina, deciding that she better put a damper on this. She whipped her hand out and made sure that the pricey engagement ring was visible. "Well, it was very nice to meet you, your highness, but I think I should be getting back to, um, Lucy."

She stood to go back into the dancing crowd, but was stopped by a steel grip again.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," said Vlad earnestly. "I do not mean to impose myself on you in any way. I was merely looking for a guide who could help a stranger in a foreign land. I do not wish to end with a sour note with you, so please accept my apologies, and I will look elsewhere."

Immediately, Nina felt the pangs of guilt strike her. "Wait," she said, as he turned to go. "I'm really sorry. You must think we Canadians are just awful! Of course I can help you. It would be very rude of me not to. Sorry."

His face lit up, and Nina felt confusion strike her. Why was he having this effect on her when she was so in love with John???

"You are perfectly sweet," he said. "But a club is not the place for me. Perhaps if I gave you my number, then you could call me?"

Nina almost sighed in perfect relief. "Actually, I hate this place too. I could take you on a brief tour of the campus if you'd like."

"I would be honoured, my lady. I'll wait while you tell your friend."

Nina fought her way to the centre where Lucy was dancing (extremely sexily) with Arthur. "Hon, I'm going to take this guy on a tour of campus. He's new and he needs help."

Lucy stopped and turned to face her. "You have fun, and be careful. And remember, John who?" She winked and turned back to her partner. "Call me when you get in, okay, girl?" She called over her shoulder. Nina shouted back that she would, before heading back to where her strange escort was waiting.

Vlad smiled as she came out of the crowd, and placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her out. She felt a tingle as his strong, muscular hand touched her, but suppressed it. John, she thought. John, John, John.

When they exited the club, Nina's ears were ringing from the music and she could barely hear Vlad direct her toward his car. She had rode with Lucy, so she knew she would have to take his car.

She was stunned when she saw a shining black convertible waiting in the parking lot, and the fact that he was striding up to it. She wasn't good with cars and wasn't sure of it's worth, but there was a Mustang insignia on the front. It was beautiful.

"Wow, this is yours?" She asked breathlessly. "It's so beautiful!"

He shrugged. "I believe it is one of your sayings, 'it gets me from A to B.'"

Nina closed her mouth, which had been hanging open, and walked over to the passenger seat. But Vlad was too quick for her, and he sprang over and opened the door for her.

"Thank you very much," she said, as she slipped in past him, catching whiffs of some exotic aftershave. Oh my God, she thought, what am I doing?  
He smoothly slid into the drivers seat and put the key in the ignition. Instantly classical music affronted them, and he sighed. "A nice relief from that garbage," he said softly. Nina was touched by how openly he admitted his love for classical music.

"I love this kind of music. Apparently you do ten percent better on all tests and quizzes when you listen to Mozart, so I listen to it all the time. It's very soothing when I write or paint as well."

"You do those things?" He said as they pulled out of the parking lot. While driving, he pulled on two leather gloves.

"I love writing! All the characters and places, and..." Nina faded away. When she talked to John about her passion, she always felt so childish. Yet with Vlad, it seemed so natural.

"You have the soul of a romantic," he said, as they turned a corner that lead to the main campus. "I admire that. It is a true thing of beauty in this busy world of ours."

Nina blushed, and was glad that it was dark so he wouldn't notice. She felt a little stupid, in this car with such a sophisticated man, and suddenly it struck her, she really _was_ with a foreign member of nobility.

"Oh my God," she said all of a sudden. "Are you going to be King someday?"

"Perhaps, but of a different kingdom than you think," he said after a pause.

"Oh my God," said Nina hurriedly. "I'm in a car with a future KING!!! Why am I here? Why aren't I with John living my ordinary boring life???"

He glanced over at her. "What are you talking about?" He said, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "You're here because I needed you to be here. And so what if I will be King? I'm still me, right? And boring life, well, maybe you could change that."

Nina flushed yet again, embarrassed by her outburst. "I'm sorry, your highness, I've just been a little stressed lately. You know, today's my birthday, and my fiancée John just told me that...well...oh, it's so complicated!"

"It's your birthday and your fiancée is not celebrating with you?" Vlad asked, a cloud passing over his face. "He sounds very unworthy of you, lady Nina."

"Oh, he's not!" She rushed to defend him, the way she did when Lucy attacked him. "He's smart and successful, he's the top of the business school, and handsome, and..."

"It seems to me that none of these qualities should matter. What should matter is that a man should be there for the woman he loves on an important day for her. No matter whether he is a high ranking business official or postman. He should be there for her, and always appreciate her."

Nina stopped trying to protest, and silently acknowledged that he did have a point. But she loved John! But had he ever acted like he had loved her? True, he had always taken advantage of her, but he took care of her, most of the time.

She fell silent, and Vlad sighed. "I'm sorry if I have offended you or your fiancée, dear Nina, I fear my tongue has gotten out of hand. I apologize, but I must say that I still agree with my statement."

Nina shuddered, and struggled with pain and wonder. "You haven't offended me, your highness, I'm just embarrassed to say that I must agree with you too."

"Vlad, please, none of this 'your highness' business."

"Okay. Thank you, your...I mean, Vlad."

"So where are we now?"

Nina went over a detailed list of the different buildings and their functions, and soon, they had finished sweeping over the entire campus. It wasn't too large.

Vlad drove her back to her place, and parked just outside.

"So this is where you live? It's rather charming," he commented.

"Yes. I have a question; if you're Transylvanian, why is your accent British?"

He laughed. "I was taught English by a British tutor. Does that answer your question?"

"Your English is remarkably good," she said. "You must have worked hard."

"I am a fairly fast learner," he said, but without arrogance. "May I have your number so that I may contact you in case I need your services?"

"Sure, here it is," she wrote it on a scrap of paper with a pen she always carried around.

Silence.

"Well, goodnight," said Nina, her hand on the door.

His hand fell on hers, and their eyes locked as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"Goodnight, my lady Nina," he said gently.

With reluctance, Nina's hand left his own and she left to her apartment, feeling somehow that a missing part of her had been filled.

Meanwhile, Vlad/Dracula watched her ascend to her residence, and sighed with passion. She had a huge hold on his heart, now. For some strange reason, all the women he had pursued over the centuries seemed nothing in comparison with this fair creature.

A shudder passed through Dracula's body as he felt the thirst for blood overcome him. His incisors grew with the hunger, and he squealed away from Nina's residence to where Lucy, his victim, lived. It was such a strange coincidence that she was a best friend with the woman he had fallen in love with. Fate worked in strange cycles.

His eyes shifted from deep brown to a glowing red as he reached her house, and mist filled his car and the entire area around him. He slowly drifted inside her apartment.

He never intended to kill Lucy. No, she was only a temporary fix until he could create his vast army. He would slowly turn her over to his side, allowing her time to replenish so that he could continue to drink without destroying.

After all, he could start building his army too quickly. One of the few men he feared, one Professor Van Helsing, was on campus, teaching sciences and religious studies. Dracula had been unaware of this when he first arrived, but with Nina here, he couldn't leave.

Not without her.

Even if Van Helsing belonged to an ancient order bent on destroying him and his kind, he had too much involved here. And if he "played his cards right," as they said, Dracula could walk away with her hand and his head.

Lucy twitched as the mist filled her room, and slowly Dracula lowered his head and feasted again. Lucy relaxed under his grip, as they all did. Having your blood drunk was apparently a very pleasure-inducing experiencing, if done by a true Vampyre. Which was why there were so many strange cults still around trying to make pleasure of it. They never succeeded.

When Dracula had taken all he could while taking into fact that she would have to keep enough to replenish, he floated away, leaving a very tired, drained Lucy Westenra in his wake.

He had a better plan in store for Nina, though. Being one of his Undead wasn't good enough for her. She deserved better.

Dracula smiled as he materialized inside his car, and zoomed away from his victim.

A/N: I would really appreciate some feedback on this story. Even if you were just perusing, I would love to know what you liked and didn't like. I am slowly starting to extend my offers and query letters to publishing companies.

: This information about the Mozart and ten percent better is actually true. I can't remember where I read it, but I listened to non-stop Mozart before my Math exam and I got 97.5 on it!!!!!!


	6. Unwanted Reality

Hello again! I don't know why I'm continuing to write this, I'm going absolutely insane with all the work and commitments. I've got a dance workshop performance in Michigan in a week, and then a trip to Montreal in a month for a UN conference. I'm also involved in multiple extra-curricular activities and trying to get a portfolio...the list goes on and on. Anyways, one reviewer asked, (I can't remember the name, sorry!) about publishing etiquette. This is what I got, according to the Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published.

With fiction, you have to write the book first. In non-fiction, you don't have to. First you send in a query letter, which is no longer than a page and basically that sells your book. Always send along a self-addressed stamped envelope! Then, if they respond (which may take awhile) send in a book proposal, which outlines every chapter in a paragraph. If they still like it, then they'll publish it. Or, you could send in the first fifty pages with a query letter and ask if they'd like to see the rest.

Well, apparently, that's how it works!

I also said that I would include more information about Vlad the Impaler. Sadly, I have been unable to find time to look up info on him. I would encourage that you would, as the faithful reader, do so!!!! Oh, and yes, I'm rooting for Dracula instead of John too, just so you know. However, as the author, I am compelled to follow the plot that has given to me by the story muses. Sorry!

Enjoy, and please forgive me if it's short!

* * *

Nina sighed again and again, and soon, her fellow students were beginning to look at her in annoyance. They were in literary studies again, and also in the middle of an intense lecture. But Nina, for once, couldn't focus. All she could do was aimlessly doodle on her notepad.

She couldn't stop thinking about him. She knew how wrong it was, she knew that she was still in love with John, even though he didn't seem to love her back, but there was something haunting about Vlad.

He was so exotically beautiful and sophisticated, this secret prince of hers. His knowledge obviously surpassed her own, and his rich voice still rang in her ears. What is wrong with me? She asked herself continuously, but she could never find the answer. So she sighed again.

Finally, someone poked her sharply in the side with a pencil, and she was forced to return to reality with a jolt. Some of the people around her hid smirks as she jumped in her seat, and then tried to keep up where she had left off in the lecture.

But he was still there. The professor spoke of Olivia and Sebastian. She saw him catching her inches off the floor, holding her steady. The professor spoke of Hamlet and Ophelia. Nina heard his voice as he described the beauty of classical music. The professor spoke of Romeo and Juliet. She felt her hand lifted to his lips and given the sweetest of kisses.

"Wake up, Nina," she murmured to herself, as once again her pen flew across paper. "It's time to return to reality."

But what happened if reality was no longer desired?

* * *

John woke up the next morning feeling much more refreshed. He looked at his digital watch and groaned. It was the Monday after Nina's birthday, and he knew that she would be angry. And justifiably so.

Dracula had returned in an excellent mood, and during all of Saturday had spoken with him. John still knew that he was a prisoner, but at least his jailer was kind.

Luckily those women weren't around any more. Whenever he was around them, he felt weary and drained, yet was still irresistibly attracted to their voluptuousness. But somehow, Dracula seemed to be a bigger threat.

John spent his days wandering around the large estate, perusing books or hooking up his laptop to the Internet connection Dracula showed him. But for some strange reason, his email was inaccessible. There was no way for him to contact anyone for his rescue. Now, here he was, alone and without Nina's love.

The food was excellent. The rooms were beautiful. The grounds were huge. Yet John was still terrified out of his wits.

It had all began on Saturday Night. He was in his room, when Dracula knocked and entered.

"My friend, I advise very much that you remain within your room tonight. There are dangerous creatures about, and often wolves find their way into my main hall. It is quite the inconvenience, I know, but for your own safety, this is my warning."

And he left.

John was a little shaken, but decided to follow Dracula's advice. He had already seen many things in the house to disturb him. Such as his host's peculiar pattern of exiting out the window.

He fell asleep and tossed fitfully, and was awoken by a thump. Immediately he sat up, and instinct pulled him out of the room toward the sound.

John went into the living room, still decked in his boxers and shirt, and saw nothing. However, by the moonlight in the window, particles in the air began to swirl. They became small, silver tornados that grew and grew, and finally, three women materialized there.

One was Greta; the other was the second full-bodied woman who helped her carry him to his room, and the third he didn't know. But they were clad in thin, diaphanous white dressed and stared at him hungrily and seductively.

"Come to us, John," the third called, and involuntarily, John gave a moan of desire. He walked zombie-like towards them, unaware of his own actions, and just as she had lowered her face to his neck, Dracula entered the room in a fury.

"Enough!" He shouted, and wind swirled majestically around him, tossing his loose black hair around his enraged face. "I have told you not to touch him!"

They had hissed at Dracula, releasing John who fell to the ground. "You dare to deprive us of this beautiful young man?" Demanded Greta.

"You shall not have him...yet," Dracula ordered.

The three women laughed and materialized into moonlight yet again, and disappeared through the air out the window. John didn't know what had happened next, for he passed out, and woke up in his bed the next day.

When he came down for breakfast the next day, Dracula commented, "You had been sleepwalking last night, my friend, and were in the midst of a very realistic dream. You eventually woke up and passed out from shock, and I carried you back to your room."

John didn't know what to believe, so he played along. "Right, that's a tendency of mine. Thank you."

Dracula smiled, and gestured to a full breakfast. "Please, eat."

So John did.

And now he was back in his room, pacing, unsure what to do or what to believe. In his anger, he stomped on the ground and was surprised to hear a hollow echo. Curious, he pulled back the Persian carpet and saw a small trap door built into the floor. He lifted the door and nearly fainted in happiness.

There, hidden from him, was an ancient phone, that looked as though it might still be connected. John tentatively lifted the receiver and heard a dial tone. He was saved! He could call for help and would escape!

However, when he tried to dial, the circular device would not turn. He almost broke the phone in frustration, but instead listened to the precious tone.

John almost dropped the phone in shock when he heard Dracula pick up the phone downstairs and begin to dial. He covered his mouth with his hand to make sure Dracula wouldn't be able to hear his heavy breathing.

The phone rang once, twice, and finally, someone picked up.

"Hello?"

Oh my God, thought John. The voice that he had been desperate to hear now became the voice he wished he had never heard. Nina.

"No!" John whispered. "Not her, damn you!"

"Lady Nina? It is I, Vlad."

She knew him? When did that happen? John clung to the phone.

"Oh, your highness! I mean...Vlad. Um, how are you?"

John felt love fill his heart as he heard her voice, and anger as Dracula spoke to her.

"I am excellent, and yourself?"

"I'm okay, I guess."

"You sound unhappy, my dear."

"It's just..."

"You're worried about John, aren't you?"

Nina sighed over the line. "Yes. I can't believe he's not back yet."

John's heart soared. She still loved him! She wasn't angry!

Dracula make a clicking sound. "Dearest Nina, when a man disappears and offers no explanation, it is unjust and completely unacceptable."

Nina sighed again. "I guess so," she answered meekly. "So did you need me to take you on another tour of campus?"

"Not today, but perhaps sometime in the future."

"Really? Where would you like to go?"

"Well, I was hoping that you would do me the honour of allowing me to escort you to Chez Danielle."

John almost gasped. Chez Danielle was the ritziest restaurant in the whole city, and he would have his fiancée alone and vulnerable there. He began to shake, but couldn't find his voice to warn her.

"I'm not sure," said Nina. That's it, thought John. Don't let him hurt you!

"Please, it would give me the greatest pleasure," said Dracula smoothly.

Say no, thought John. No, no, no...

"All right," said Nina. "When would you like to go?"

NO! Thought John.

"This Friday?" Proposed Dracula.

"Oh, I can't, there's an annual ghost hunt happening at Queen's College, and I promised my friend Lucy that I would go."

"Ah, yes, Lucy, I remember her. How about Wednesday night, then?"

"That sounds fantastic."

"Can I call you again tomorrow to arrange a pick-up time?"

"Sure. I have a class until four, so maybe around five?"

"Five. Excellent. Fare thee well, Lady Nina," He said gently.

John could practically hear Nina blushing over the phone. "Oh, well, I guess I'll talk to you then, bye!"

And they hung up.

John put the phone back on the hook and replaced the rug. He would have to warn her tomorrow at five. And Dracula would never be able to know.

He swallowed his fears. He would refuse to show fear. He would do it for Nina's sake.

* * *

A/N: John bugs me. Even though he's in love with Nina, she's so stupid for not realizing that she could have the Prince of Darkness instead. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!!!!

I felt like I should get that off of my chest, because I know that's what the general reviewer has been telling me, and I agree.


	7. Forbidden Love

Hey all! Sorry I've been so unfaithful to updating lately, I'm so bad. I've had a lot of things going on, and long story short, I haven't been able to update in a while. So here it is, brand spanking new! However, here's a note to my reviewers. Some of you have complained that I haven't taken enough creative liberties. I completely agree with you. I hope that I do a better job on these next chapters, and I'm adding a little more of my own styles to the story. Thanks for the good advice!

Enjoy!

Lucy sighed happily as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, dragging a wide-toothed comb through her thick dark hair. Arthur had finally done it: he had finally asked her out. She was so happy. Last night on the dance floor, when he had lead her to the side of the mayhem, taken her hand, and asked for the honour of being his girlfriend, her heart had soared.

She tried to ignore the bubble of happiness swelling in her middle, but couldn't and succumbed. She hit the play button on her stereo and smiled as her hip-hop filled up the bathroom.

She applied dramatic eyeliner and mascara and was about to sweep on eye shadow when she noticed the marks on her neck. They were even redder and more irritated, and she couldn't stop staring at them. The nightmares had been back again last night, even though she had been glowing with joy when she had fallen asleep. And then there was the strange reaction Professor Van Helsing had given her when he saw her one-day on campus. She couldn't shake that.

Oh well. Professor Van Helsing was a certifiably insane, as all his student's proclaimed. Brilliant, reclusive, and in his late forties, Van Helsing was extremely popular yet still known around campus as the Lunatic.

Whatever. The point was that her love interest finally liked her back. And they were happy together. She pulled up the collar of her sweater so it disguised the marks, hit stop on the stereo, and went out to her car to meet with Arthur.

* * *

Van Helsing exited the laboratory, and tugged on his scarf, which was blinding him. He was tall, on the bulky side, with large square glasses and a scrubby beard that was beginning to show white. His hair was coarse brown mixed with grey and his eyes were clear and penetrating.

He unlocked the door of his VW Beetle and plopped himself inside. He didn't really care too much for the design of his sleek silver Bug, but it added to his reputation, which he rather enjoyed. Besides, why would he carry about the aesthetics of an automobile? There were so many more things to worry about.

Such as the marks on that poor girl's neck. His face clouded over as he thought of the unfortunate young woman, Lacey...no, Lucy. Yes, Lucy, the young Miss Westenra. She had no idea of the magnitude of her upcoming battle.

Van Helsing pulled up to the Tim Horton's drive thru and got his typical double double, and sipped at the coffee pensively as the car rolled away. I'm getting too old for this, he thought sadly. I've been fighting too long against this.

Too long had Van Helsing been a member of the Light, a secret society originating far back into the times of Vlad the Impaler. The second the founder of the Light, Johannes Dallesberg, discovered of Vlad's treachery to God and to all things Holy, he formed the society to forever protect the world from Dracula's grasp.

And so Dracula remained in Transylvania, kept under the careful watch of the Light. As long as he was unaware of the Light's presence, he wouldn't try to run. After all, knowing where he used to be was safer than guessing where he would be while on the run.

There had been multiple attempts to eliminate him, naturally, but all had failed. Van Helsing's father was flung onto the craggy rocks beside Castle Dracula after attempting to plunge a wooden stake into his Undead heart. And so his son took up the responsibility in the attempts to rid the world of Dracula.

With the death of Van Helsing Sr., Dracula was suddenly alert of the threat of the Light. He fled, and lived around the world on his various expanses of wealth. He had managed to lose the Light, and Van Helsing had been genuinely puzzled as to his whereabouts.

Then it seemed that Destiny had stepped in. Dracula moved onto the very campus that Van Helsing was teaching at. And for some strange reason, he didn't show any signs of leaving.

Van Helsing sighed and sipped his coffee again, gripping the steering wheel tighter. He would just have to make sure that Dracula wouldn't spook again, and to keep him there until the Light could take appropriate action. He chuckled wryly. It seemed that even their ultra-secret Order was subject to Bureaucracy. It took forever for administration to decide upon action, and when they did, their decisions were usually extremely controversial.

He just prayed with all of his heart and soul that he could manage to keep Dracula still without having to sacrifice any of his students. After all, being Undead was worse than death. It was beyond death, a suffering beyond any means.

But whatever the price was, he would have to pay it. It was his duty.

* * *

John paced the room anxiously, his worries dissolving into his flesh and causing his nerves to shake incessantly. He tried to keep from sobbing hysterically, but hysterics wouldn't save Nina. Only his logic could do that.

Logic was what John Murray thrived on. It was what made him one of the top law students in the country. He was impossible to beat, no matter what the odds were, and firms knew clients would be lining up just to catch a glimpse of him. John Murray was going to become a Law Legend; a man paid an unreasonable amount of money just to sing a song to a jury.

That could save Nina. Not his fear.

He checked his watch again, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It was almost time. 4:47 pm. Nina would just be getting ready for her "dream date's" call. If he knew her, and how she treated an important phone call, she would be pacing in her residence room, probably biting her nails.

John looked at his watch again. 4:49 pm. Eleven minutes.

"Show time," he whispered, lifting up the floorboards to his ticket to saving Nina.

* * *

Nina was pacing in her room. And she was biting her nails. Instant messages kept flashing up on her computer screen, and every time she received one, she checked to make sure it wasn't from John. There was absolutely nothing. Only fellow classmates wanting to know why she had been so spaced out lately.

And then her phone rang. It rang once. She almost picked it up immediately, but she was afraid she would seem a little too eager. She waited for the second ring, and then picked up, hoping that she wouldn't sound too breathless.

"Hello?" She said, trying to sound as mature and calm as possible, even though her heart was pounding. And it shouldn't have been pounding; she reprimanded herself, but stopped when she heard his voice fill the phone.

"Good evening, Lady Nina. I hope the day has found you in good health?"

There was something about the way he spoke to her that made her glow. "It went pretty well, thank you," she said softly. "And yourself?"

"I am excellent, thank you. I am truly enjoying your Canadian culture, my dear. It has really given me an opportunity...to broaden my horizons."

She smiled. "I'm glad. What classes have you been taking?"

Silence for a few moments. "Advanced Calculus, physics, and visual art."

None of the classes I'm taking, thought Nina with a hint of regret. "Wow, those are incredible. How are they?"

"They're fine. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about, my dearest Nina. I wish only to speak of you and I and of tomorrow night."

Nina flushed, trying to keep her composure. He was so suave and European. Besides, she told herself indignantly, John dumped you. You're a single woman now.

"Yes, I think that I would enjoy going out with you tomorrow night," said Nina defiantly. So there, John, she thought. I've moved on.

"You do me great honour, Lady Nina. May I pick you up around seven tomorrow?"

Nina was about to respond yes when all of a sudden, a familiar voice filled the line.

"Nina? Nina, it's me, John!"

"John?" Nina gasped into the phone. "Where are you?"

"Nina, listen to me! You're in danger. He's going to hurt you!"

"Who? John, what are you talking about?!" Nina was almost in hysterics.

A hissing filled the other end of the phone, and Nina drew back as painful static erupted at the other end.

"Hello?" Nina whispered. "John? Are you there?"

"Dear God, I'm sorry, dear Nina, I'm on my cell phone and I just went under a bridge. You were cut off for a moment. Are you all right? And who is John?"

His voice turned sour. "Oh yes, this John who claimed to be in love with you before abandoning you for some count. He sounded absolutely...well...why would you think that I was him?"

Nina repressed a sob. For that moment when she thought she heard his voice, she had been filled with happiness and surprisingly regret. "I'm sorry, I really am, and I think the stress from school has just been getting to me. So, you wanted to meet at seven?"

"Yes, my dear. I must go, however, so I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it."

"Have a beautiful evening, Nina."

And he hung up. As Nina put the phone back on the cradle, she felt confusion strike her with such a medley of emotions that she was forced to sit down.

* * *

Dracula stormed upstairs after he hung up on Nina, angry that he couldn't have turned into a wolf and torn John Murray apart. But it was still daylight, and his power didn't arrive until nightfall.

He burst into the room where Greta had John pinned onto his mattress, holding him down. John was struggling against her, but all the Undead possessed strength that no mere mortal could counter.

"You fool," Dracula hissed. "Did you really think you could ever hope to win against me? I've been around longer than you can ever imagine. I have knowledge you could never be able to counter. And you thought you could beat me?"

"A man in love is stronger than any force of darkness, you asshole!" Yelled John.

A smile lifted the corners of Dracula's lips. "But a Creature of the Night in love is stronger than any force of good."

Both John and Greta turned to stare up at him, John in horror and Greta in loss.

"Drain him slowly," Dracula instructed her. "He almost ruined my chances with Nina forever."

"Good," spat John. "I would be proud to die a slow painful death if it kept you two apart."

"You'll die a slow painful death, my friend," said Dracula, "but it won't keep us apart." And he left the room, ignoring John's threats at him, which slowly dissolved into screams. Then finally, there was nothing, as John surrendered to the pain that overtook him.

* * *

The next day was a blur for Nina. She was going on a date with another man for the first time in years. Her classes seemed to just whiz by, and at the same time, seemed to crawl. Finally, she confessed to Lucy, who was lounging out on a bench beside the football field where Arthur was practicing.

"Luce, I know this sounds strange, but... IhaveadatewiththeguywhoImetatVibrations."

"What? Slow down!"

Nina took a breath. "I have a date with the guy who I met at Vibrations."

Lucy's face burst into a huge smile. "Nina, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you! Whee!" And she gave Nina a big hug. "Are you going to be okay with this, my darling? I mean..." and she looked to where Nina's engagement ring usually rested, and found that finger to be empty.

"Oh my God," Lucy started.

"I know. I took it off. John practically told me himself that he didn't want to marry me any more, and so last night I took it off."

"Oh my God," said Lucy again.

Nina groaned. "It wouldn't be appropriate to wear another man's ring on a date, right?"

Lucy stared at her. "Well, love, as long as you're sure."

"I am. And I can always put it back on afterwards if he gives me one frigging amazing apology."

Lucy continued to stare. "What's happened to you? You've turned so...wild and free!"

Nina felt a little hurt. "Oh..."

"No, I love it! There's nothing wrong with it! I'm not sure if you've noticed, Nina, but you're like a flower that's just began to bloom! Guys have been staring a lot, lately, ever since John left."

Nina blushed. "Okay, Lucy, I'll leave you to your Arthur," and with that, Nina got up and hurried back to her dorm, where she began to get ready for her date.

* * *

Dracula slipped on the expensive Italian blazer, running over a mental checklist. Black tailored pants? Check. Black shoes? Check. Dark red shirt? Check. He didn't put on a tie but merely left the effect as it was, which he hoped was a good one.

Dracula glanced over into the mirror that hung on the wall, and saw hit outfit. It looked stunning. There was only one thing missing, though, and that was himself. When he moved his arm, the suit moved, but you couldn't see the arm. He sighed. He hated not having a reflection. The simplest thing in the world, and he was denied it.

"You look amazing," purred the voice of Greta behind him. Smooth white arms entwined themselves around his waist. He pried them off of him.

"Stop it, Greta. You know it's all over."

She looked at him with wounded eyes. "When you made us your brides, you promised love eternal! That's the only reason why we agreed to become Undead!"

He pushed her away with a snarl. "I promised you nothing but temporary lust, and you know it. I regret it now, but it was your decisions, remember? I have no use for your love any more."

She hissed at him. "I see, you're throwing away three beautiful immortal women for a single human mortal? You don't deserve our love!"

Dracula laughed. "No, I deserve your love all right, because it is equal to the lust you three once shared for me. The love I don't deserve is the one I have for her."

Greta stared at him in horror. "You truly love this mortal? You barely even know her!"

He sighed. "I don't understand it myself. You three certainly looked pure enough, but a part of you belonged to the Dark before you even met me. But she's...different. She's pure both on the exterior and interior. She's just so...good. And that moron upstairs doesn't deserve her."

"Oh, and you think you do!"

"I don't deserve her, no, but I want her. I want her purity and I want her love to warm a cold world."

"So you're just going to take her, make her Undead, and then live with her, half-whole, for all eternity!"

He whirled on Greta. "Why do you care? Whether or not I had ever laid eyes on Nina, I would never have any of you three again!"

Her eyes narrowed. "If I was human enough, I would have shed tears. We three are bound to you, you know that, and if we could have revoked our decisions, we would have. But you are going to take this girl's life away from her just to make your own better!"

He laughed. "When have you become so good, Greta? You haven't forgotten that I am a monster," his voice cracked, "an inhuman Creature of the Night. I have no feelings! I do exactly what I want."

"If you have no feelings, then why have you fallen in love?"

He spun around in a furious rage. "Get OUT!"

A smile raised her ruby lips. "Then you have been weakened, my lord, by a mortal. You will never be the same again." And she left.

Dracula strode over to the mirror and with a cry of passion smashed it with an iron fist. He watched the shards fall to the ground, sounding like fairies as they sparkled. He panted with anger as his insides melted, thinking of Nina and thinking of how cold and cruel he was. They were so different. And he would end up hurting her badly.

Surprisingly, the thought brought him sadness. Greta was right. She had weakened him beyond his control, and he didn't mind.

He set his face into steel, knowing that tonight; he would have to win her over. And he would have her. Because he always got what he wanted.

Sighing, he dissolved into mist and reappeared behind the steering wheel, where sitting on the passenger's seat was a single red rose with sprays of baby's breath, his gift for Nina. He put the key in the ignition and roared off, driving with a superhuman speed to where Nina would be waiting.

* * *

Lucy threw the keys down on the kitchen table and collapsed on the couch in the living room. She had just been on a date with Arthur and things were going beautifully. She even received one of the most beautiful goodnight kisses she had ever experienced.

She turned on the TV and fought a desire to cough. It erupted anyways, and Lucy was surprised to discover how tired she felt. She went into her room, changed into some comfortable jams, and returned to her programme.

Before long, her sweet tooth began to call to her, but Lucy wasn't hungry. Instead, she got up and brewed a cup of tea and got a plate of cookies, the way her maid, Lisa, used to do when she was sick.

When she got back to the couch, she wrapped herself in an old woven blanket and sipped pensively at the tea. She felt so tired and worn.

When the programme was over, she was surprised that her instinct was drawing her to her jewellery box. Inside were diamond necklaces and golden chains, given to her by rich relatives. But tucked deep inside was her maternal grandmother's gold crucifix, left to Lucy in her will. She put it on, and was surprised at how warm it felt against her skin.

Deciding against watching more TV, she crawled into bed and shivered in spite of the warmth on her neck. Something was wrong with her. And she knew it.

* * *

Nina finished fiddling with her gold earring and stood back to look at the effect in the mirror. Her skin seemed to glow against the material of her "little black dress," which she had bought on impulse when shopping with Lucy. She gave her hair one final brush and went to the front entrance of the dorm, where Vlad was meeting her.

It wasn't long before his shiny car pulled up, and he bounded up the steps to meet her. From behind his back, he pulled a long-stemmed red rose and handed it to her.

Nina gasped in pleasure. "It's so beautiful!" She said. John never gave me flowers, she thought to herself.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady," said Vlad, taking her hand once again and pressing it gently to his lips. Nina took in his appearance. His hair was gently flowing around his face and fell to his shoulders, and he wore a black suit with a red shirt beneath it. He looked incredible.

"You look really amazing yourself," she responded, feeling a pang of guilt. No, she reminded herself. I'm single. For the moment.

She realized the Vlad hadn't let go of her hand, and was examining it. "No ring?"

The smile crept up before she could stop it. "No," she said. "No ring."

He nodded. "I'm sorry for his loss, but ecstatic about my gain. Shall we, Nina?"

Vlad enlaced her hand through his arm and together they descended to the car.

On the way to Chez Danielle, classical music filled the car along with intelligent conversation about literature and poetry. Nina involuntarily felt herself beginning to swoon under his influence, and was immensely grateful when they arrived at the expensive restaurant.

A valet opened up Nina's door and handed her to Vlad, who took her by the hand and led her inside.

A gasp escaped Nina's lips as she entered the glittering golden interior of Chez Danielle. Everything seemed touched with gold and green, like some ancient Egyptian palace. A thin woman in black came and addressed them immediately.

"Good evening sir, reservations?"

"His Royal Highness Prince Vladimir the Tenth and date Nina Harker."

He lifted out one of his muscular hands and displayed a signet ring that Nina had never seen. It was marked with a crest that she assumed to symbolize royalty.

Nina felt a flutter in her stomach when she remembered that she was out with a prince. The woman smiled and led them away from the aristocrats of the city and into a small, private room with a small candlelit table. A vase of fresh cut roses was sitting on the table, and petals were strewn all over the pure white tablecloth.

Nina realized that she must have been staring when she heard the door shut behind them and Vlad was taking her coat off for her.

"Sorry, I must have been out of it for a moment there," she said, a little dazedly. "I just remembered that I'm with royalty again."

He shrugged. "I know that sometimes my title makes people uncomfortable, and I don't usually use it because of that. However, it does guarantee you a reservation at any place anywhere."

Nina laughed and Vlad helped to seat her courteously. A waiter knocked at the door and brought in champagne in an ice bucket, but Vlad waved him away as he was about to pour it. Instead, Vlad reached over and poured her a glass himself.

He raised his glass in a toast. "To you, Lady Nina."

"To us," Nina changed, the words surprising her as she spoke them. It seemed so natural, and for once John left her mind completely. She drank the expensive champagne, the bubbles tickling her stomach happily.

A waiter returned briefly, took their orders, and left again, leaving them alone again. Music played gently in the background, and Nina and Vlad spoke of their common interests.

"...So when my parents found me, I was halfway up the tree wearing next to nothing. They were a little disappointed in me, but I was only five!"

Nina was laughing her head off as he finished that anecdote, and she began to speak of her own life.

"I wish I could have met your parents. My family was one that I guess you could call...dysfunctional. My mother was an alcoholic, and was usually in a drunken stupor when I came home from school. My father was abusive and loved to hit my mother whenever she did something silly, like forgetting to add onions in the burgers. I was the only child, and I began working at a young age so that I could go to University and get away from them."

He looked at her sadly. "You don't seem the type to be raised that way. You have turned out much differently from your parents."

Nina shook her head. "My grandmother took care of me a lot, and she raised me to who I am. She was so beautiful. My world ended when she died."

"But look at you now! You're a beautiful, intelligent, and successful woman. It's unbelievable how far you've come from that life."

Nina flushed slightly. John had always been a little embarrassed by Nina's family. Vlad seemed to only see Nina herself and not her family. John again.

Stop thinking of him! She commanded herself. This is a time to be happy with someone who makes you happy.

Dinner came and went, and they continued to speak with each other. Nina couldn't remember when, but at some point, he had reached over and put his hand over hers. Gently, he rubbed his thumb against her own, and Nina forgot what she was saying in the middle of her sentence. He looked at her puzzled, and she tried again to restart what she was saying.

About an hour later, after they had both pleasantly finished laughing, he took her by the hand and pulled her gently to stand.

"What?" asked Nina, as he pulled her away from the table.

"May I have this dance?" He said softly.

Suddenly, the music seemed to fill the room, and she nodded. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her hands around his shoulders, and slowly they swayed to the melody of the music.

"Are you happy, Nina?" He asked her.

"So very happy," she responded. And it was true. For the first time in years, she felt so free. "Hey, this is how we met, do you remember? On the dance floor!"

He smiled. "Of course, how could I forget?" Then he put his mouth next to her ear and began to quote,

"For when my passion first began,

Ere that, which in me burn'd,

The love, that makes me thrice a man,

Could hope itself return'd."

Nina felt the flutter in her stomach and softly remarked, "That's Tennyson."

She was making eye contact with him now, and as if in slow motion, his head slowly came down and their lips met, and the passion that erupted from it nearly knocked Nina right off her feet.

On and on the kiss continued, with no servers interrupting them. She felt herself soaring high above the sky and deeper than the ocean.

When they finally broke apart, Nina felt herself trembling. He gently laid a hand on her cheek and just looked into her eyes, saying nothing. Smiling, she reached up and kissed him again.

Sighing, as they broke apart, Nina laid her head on his shoulder gently, and looked peacefully across the table into the small ornamental mirror that hung by their coats.

Wait. Stop. As she looked into the mirror, she saw herself, she saw Vlad's suit, but she didn't see Vlad. Hysteria bubbled up inside her. Something was wrong. Something was terribly, horribly wrong.

She let go of him still, looking in the mirror, and Vlad stared at her confused.

"Nina, what..." He looked over his shoulder, saw where she was looking, and his mouth fell open.

"No," he said softly, and turned around to try to explain, but Nina had already grabbed her coat and had run out the door.

Nina struggled to put on the coat, look composed, and run like hell out of the restaurant. She brushed past the thin woman, and ran out the door. Vlad followed shortly, and thrusting a couple of hundred dollar bills at the woman, followed Nina.

Although Nina had gotten a huge head start over him, she was surprised when she heard the running footsteps behind her and felt an iron hand enclose her arm.

"Nina, stop!" He commanded, and she turned, panting, to look up at him.

"There's something wrong!" She panted. "There's something terribly wrong with either me or you. This can't work, I'm so sorry! I don't deserve you! And what about John? I heard his voice today when I spoke to you!"

She struggled against his grip, but he wouldn't let her go.

"Nina, that mirror must have been a horrible trick by the restaurant! I can go back and give them a thorough lecture, but..."

"Let go of me!"

He grabbed both of her arms now to keep her steady. "The point is, Nina, that I have fallen in love with you and I won't let you go!"

That stopped her. She stopped flailing and looked into his eyes with tears forming in her own. "W-what?"

"You heard me. I wasn't planning on falling on love, but you changed that. You've changed me, Nina, in ways you can't even fathom."

She was silent, sobbing against his steel grip. "I...I..." she started, and couldn't do anything to stop the words that were coming. "I love you, too, but I can't be with you! Don't you see that? I don't know why, but we can't! I swear I heard John today on the phone! He told me I was in danger! He told me you would...there's something so wrong about this! I'm sorry!"

His arms made a spasm in surprise, and she used that to run, trying hard not to look behind her to see if she was being chased.

But he wasn't making any effort to pursue her. He let her disappear into the night, fully aware that Lucy's apartment was nearby, and she would probably call a cab from there. He stood there, watching her run from him...

Anger began to swell up in him. She thought it would be that simple, did she? That she could just run right out of his life just as quickly as she had run in. Well, if she thought that, she was wrong. Very wrong.

"I am Vlad no more," he reminded himself as he slipped behind the steering wheel. "From now on, and forever more, I am Dracula." Nina had weakened him badly. She had made him remember his forgotten name and feel like a mortal. But no more. She was about to realize how deeper it was than that.

He smiled coldly as he roared over to Lucy's apartment, when as soon as Nina left, he would replenish his sanity...and his life force.

* * *

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed that. I'm working on updating Lady of Sherwood sometime this weekend as well, so to all of those who are prepared to gang-beat Mianne, fret no more! 


	8. Decaying Petals

Finally, an update!!!! Please forgive me, my computer got a virus and my entire hard drive had to be wiped. I lost all my novels and everything that I was working on!!!! sob Oh well, life goes on, and enjoy the story! It's a shorty, but the next chapter is going to be EXCELLENT. Trust me on that. Full of action, romance, and Van Helsing vs. Dracula. Have fun!

* * *

Tears rolled down Nina's cheeks as she trotted to Lucy's place, only a few blocks away. She heard the pathetic sobs that caught in her throat and couldn't believe how much emotion she felt. It had only been what, maybe a week since she encountered Vlad and began to see him. What kind of fiancée was she? After all, she and John had been engaged, and after only a couple days of Vlad's acquaintance... 

"Snap out of it," she ordered herself. "I'll think about this later. Right now, I'm going home."

As she climbed the steps to Lucy's apartment, mist tendrils began to curl themselves around her feet, slowly flooding the area.

Nina knocked loudly on the door and slowly began to break down.

"Lucy?" She called, desperately. "Lucy, are you there?"

The door slowly creaked open and Nina fell in.

"Lucy, I'm so glad, I...Lucy, what happened to you?"

Lucy's normally rich chocolaty brown skin had become ashy and drained, and her eyes were glazed and non-registering.

"Are you okay, Nina?" She croaked, adjusting the blanket that she wrapped around herself.

Nina dried her tears. "Are you alright? Are you sick?" Vlad could wait. Right now, her friend looked as though she was about to pass out.

"I've just been feeling really drained lately," said Lucy. "What's the matter with you, though? How was your date?"

Nina pushed the lump in the back of her throat even further. "It went well," she said. "But we've decided not to see each other again." What a lie.

Lucy shrugged. "Oh well, at least you know even more that you belong with John. I was kind of hoping that, well...you deserve better, but..." she looked about to faint, and Nina felt hopeless as she realized that maybe she didn't belong with John. Nina steadied her friend, though, and helped her over to the couch.

"Hey, do you think I could use your phone?" Asked Nina once Lucy was lying safely on the couch.

"No problem," said Lucy, slowly drifting asleep.

Nina dialed a cab and stayed with her friend until the knock on the door. With that, she gently kissed Lucy's forehead and left, allowing the tears to flow once more.

Fog had overwhelmed the area. Nina was surprised at how quickly it had come, and then forgot again, consumed with grief.

"Bentley Hall residence, please," she instructed the driver. He nodded, and with that, she was off, and sadness began to consume her.

* * *

Dracula materialized in the mist shortly after the cab drove away. Pressing his hand fervently to his lips, he kissed his hand and blew it in Nina's direction. She would be his once more. 

He floated in on his cushion of mist to Lucy's house. He stood by the door and called to her in her dreams, forcing her to invite him in. After all, he could cross no private threshold without being invited in.

Zombie-like, Lucy slowly opened the door, and walked back to the couch, as Dracula followed her, and waved a hand, causing Lucy to lie back on the couch. Slowly, he descended, his teeth growing and growing...

He stopped, surprised to notice the golden crucifix that hung around her neck. That wasn't there before, and he hissed in unpleasant shock. He detested that symbol of holiness that mocked his damnation.

Focusing all his thoughts on the look Nina gave him when she discovered that he wasn't all that he seemed, one of horror and shock, the gold began to hiss and melt, dissolving upwards, before it became a lump of gold. Dracula flicked it casually onto the ground.

Now, he descended, and feasted on her blood, opening the sores on her neck once more as he fed. He rose, stronger, feeling the desire for Nina pulsing through his veins.

She would be his once more.

* * *

Nina woke up the next day to her alarm, which she had forgotten to shut off, and blinked sleepily. For once, she didn't feel the desire to get up and go to her class. She wrapped herself in the blankets and turned the alarm off. She had no use for class right now. She felt like something had been ripped away from her. She drifted off to sleep again... 

When she awoke for the second time, her clock told her it was noon. She groaned, got up, and poured water into her kettle. She needed tea, badly. It always made her feel better.

She sipped silently at the brew, turned on some of her gentle piano music, and looked out the window at the view below.

There, by the tree... she thought she saw his silhouette, but she was wrong. Her eyes were playing tricks on her. She sighed as a tear rolled into her tea, and closed her eyes.

Things were so confusing. First John called and told her that their marriage was probably off, and then her confessing that she had fallen in love with Vlad. She turned and saw her engagement ring, sunlight glowing through its many facets, sitting calmly on her night table. In a rage, she hurled it against the wall, where it made a pock-mark and disappeared behind her bed.

There was a knock on her door and a gentle rustling sound, and Nina slowly got up.

"Who is it?" She would only answer if it was Lucy.

No reply.

For some reason, fear began to mount as she approached the handle. "Who's there?" She asked again. No, don't open it, don't open the door...

She opened it, and saw no one. "Hello?" She called nervously. "Is anyone there?"

A shadow moved in the hallway and Nina clutched at her chest as it began to hammer. And then, it was gone.

She shook her head, surprised by her own foolishness, and then jumped with surprise as she noticed what lay in front of her feet.

It was a rose, wilted and dead, its blackened leaves beginning the process of decay, with a note attached. In lilted, dark, ancient script, was the passage that read-

For when my passion first began,

Ere that, which in me burn'd,

The love, that makes me thrice a man,

Could hope itself return'd.

Nina's hands, trembling turned the tag over and read the final words.

Forever Mine.

Nina dropped the rose and slammed the door, locking it behind her.

* * *

John, his limbs weak, climbed out the window and saw the stones that formed the exterior sticking out. He would be able to climb down, but just barely. Below him ran the stream that flowed with an alarming pace. 

His climb was slow and shaky, and once or twice he lost his grip and almost fell into the raging torrent. He was almost there. He breathed a sigh of relief. Over head, the window made a gentle creak, and all of a sudden, bats swarmed down and shrieked and danced around him.

John yelled in shock and disgust, and tried to brush them away. As soon as his hands left the stone, he realized his mistake, and the stream carried him away.

* * *

When the phone rang in Nina's room, she could scarcely find the nerve to pick it up. The image of the rose still burned in her mind, she slowly reached over and lifted the receiver.

"Hello?" She practically whispered.

"Hey, girl, guess who?"

"Lucy! How are you? How are you feeling? Are you still sick? What's going on?"

"Whoa, stop asking so many questions and I'll be able to give you the answers," she said gently, her voice still as groggy as before. "Yes, I'm still sick. I'm feeling disgusting. What's going down is that I can't go spook-hunting with you tomorrow at Queen's College."

Nina shrugged. She hadn't been too keen on the idea in the first place. "It doesn't matter. Do you need me to come over? I can make you some soup or something, if you want."

"Thanks, your an angel, but I've already got a caregiver," her voice sounded smug. "Arthur's here right now."

"Uh huh," said Nina. "Well, I'm sure you won't be too lonely."

"Look, girl, I still think that you should go," croaked Lucy. "You haven't done anything fun in a long time. Go. Enjoy yourself."

"Lucy, chasing after imaginary ghosts is hardly my idea of an adventure," said Nina wryly.

"Hey, you promised me that you would go, so go. Come on, do it for me..."

There was something in her voice that made Nina cave in. "Oh, okay."

Lucy laughed happily, and slowly, the laugh turned to a cough.

"Well, I'll leave you to Arthur's capable hands," said Nina. "Get well soon!"

And with that, Nina hung up the phone. Feeling much better, she decided to throw out the rose that was still sitting outside her door. She crossed her room and opened the door, before gasping again.

The rose was gone.

* * *

Dracula put the rose on the car seat beside him. After listening to Nina's phone call, he knew the perfect place to make her his own, forever. He hummed absently to the classical music as his engine roared to life, and he sped back to his castle up north.

* * *

A/N: Oooh, I'm just THRILLED for the next chapter. Stay tuned, and review, review, review!!! 


	9. It Begins

Sorry this took so long to update, guys. Please review so I'll feel motivated to write even more!!!! Winter break is really soon, so I'll be updating Lady of Sherwood as well. Enjoy!

* * *

Nina pulled on her plain black sweater and finished adjusting her belt. Dressed in black from head to toe (as the hunt required), she felt her clothing reflected her inner mood. She just didn't know what to think anymore.

There was a knock on her door, and Nina answered it. It was another friend of hers, Julie, bright and sunny.

"Hey, are you ready?" Asked Julie, her blonde hair and pale skin contrasting with her black outfit.

"Yes," answered Nina dully. "Let's go."

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" persuaded Julie as they descended the stairs, down to where Julie's car was parked. "Cheer up!"

Nina shrugged and sighed. "I guess so."

They had fairly strained conversation as they entered Queen's College. Queen's College was a smaller section of the University that was much more difficult to get into. Specializing in engineering, the campus was filled with rowdy students who thought it was more fun to invent a mechanism to effectively distribute shaving cream into a room through a closed door than to design a bridge. Engineers were usually the craziest ones on campus.

Nina exited the car and pulled on her sunglasses. It was late afternoon, and already the signs were up. "Welcome to Queen's College's annual Ghost Hunt! Bring your Ghoul-friends! Grab a Vampire!"

She smiled slightly in spite of herself. It _could_ be fun, she supposed. She headed towards the group of congregated Hunters all in black, who were busy munching on hot dogs. There were a good five hundred people there, all eagerly chatting about the ghost that supposedly still haunted Queen's College.

As she entered, she immediately was affronted by two engineering students, who began talking to her eagerly. She began to smile and exchange a conversation fairly well. It had been ages since she had been to a social event like this one. Since her engagement to John, she had been spending all her time with him. For once in her life, she felt…free.

Of course, she still loved John…she supposed.

Her mind flitted briefly to the engagement ring lodged somewhere behind a dresser or her bed or somewhere like that.

A guy handed her a hot dog an hour before the Hunt, and began to ask her all sorts of questions. He flattered her endlessly, and she was just starting to feel uncomfortable when he asked her for her number. She quickly replied that she wasn't really interested, but thanks anyways.

It was the first time in years she didn't have to reply that she already had a boyfriend.

After it was over, she hunted down Julie and stuck to her side so that they could be ghost hunting partners. She wasn't completely ready to be with strangers again. Not yet, anyways.

Soon, they all began to gather, and were handed flashlights by students dressed as the grim reaper. They all spoke in hushed whispers, until one of the organizing engineering students climbed onto a platform and began to speak.

"Dearly Beloved, you have gathered here for Queen's College's annual ghost hunting extravaganza!" There were loud cheers. "The story of the ghost of Queen's College is a dark and passionate tale, one of forbidden love and betrayal."

Nina's blood began to run cold.

"The Ghost began as Professor Millington, a British scholar who was completely dedicated to his studies and to achieving infinite knowledge. He began teaching here in 1924. His drive was entirely based on the physical world, and then he met…_her._"

There was a knowing murmur that swept through the crowd.

"Elizabeth was a smart, gentle Canadian girl who was one of the first female students who began attending this fine University. She was sweet and generous, and it wasn't long before Millington was completely smitten. She, too, began to love him, in such a sweet, pure way that it wasn't long before he proposed to her.

"But her childhood friend, James, was also in love with her, but in a dark, more passionate way. He had hidden his feelings for her ever since he could remember, and when she came in to his house, happily wearing her new engagement ring, his passion welled inside him.

"'Elizabeth!' he cried to her, 'I have loved you for as long as I can remember, longed for you, cried out for you, and now, I will KILL for you!' He ran out of the building, with Elizabeth bewildered and frightened.

"Millington was down in the library when James stormed in, holding a butcher knife. The professor was baffled. 'Can I help you, James?' He asked, unable to foresee the horror that was about to occur.

"'You can help me by giving up Elizabeth,' raged James.

"Millington stared at him in confusion. 'Give her up? I love her!'

"'Then you will die for her!' shouted James, and he lunged at the professor."

A gasp arose from the crowd, including one from Nina. "They fought desperately and brutally. Millington tried to dodge the weapon, but it was no use. James stabbed Millington just as Elizabeth came running into the room."

There was a sigh of despair from the enthralled crowd. "Elizabeth was able to kiss her lover one more time, and it was said that that kiss anchored his soul to the physical world. He died in her arms, and without a word she left James, to live in a convent for the rest of her life, praying for her dead fiancé's soul.

"James was convicted and was executed, but Millington was condemned to a worse fate. His soul wanders Queen's College still, desperate to pass on to the next world. Every year, we seek him out in an effort to help him move on to heaven or hell…depending whether or not he was a good boy or a bad boy."

There were chuckles in the crowd.

"So let's get it started. Professor Van Helsing, you have a few words for our Hunters?"

A grinning Van Helsing mounted the podium. "Only that if you do find the ghost, you are to please find me so we can help him move on. Oh, and watch your backs, because ghosts can be rather sneaky."

Laughter filled the throng, as well as apprehension. The huge, looming castle of Queen's College lay before them, without a single light on, as tradition mandated. Even though there were five hundred students, the castle was so huge that there was a slim chance of even seeing any of the other Hunters.

"Let the hunt begin!" Shouted the lead engineering student, and with a great cheer, the castle doors swung open and the students flowed inside.

"Julie, Julie?" Called Nina, scanning the heads to try and see blonde. In the flow of the crowd, she had lost the only person she actually knew. She caught a glimpse of blonde heading down a passageway that the other students were just passing by as if they didn't even see it. Nina headed down that way. Of course, Julie would take that way. She was desperate to find the ghost first.

The voices of the others faded as Nina continued to walk past portraits and suits of armor, the only source of light from her pale flashlight's beam. "Julie?" She called. "Julie, slow down!"

Her steps echoed in the hallways as she passed empty rooms that had been turned into classrooms. "Hello? Is anybody here?" She called, beginning to feel a little uneasy.

She entered another hallway to the side, the walls ancient stone, and passed by more tapestries. She was beginning to feel uncomfortably isolated…

"Neeeeeeeee Naaaaaaaaaa…" called an unseen voice, whispering softly. Nina screamed and nearly dropped her flashlight.

"Who…who's there?"

There was a rush of fabric behind her, and she whirled, only to see a tapestry that had fallen to the ground five feet away from where it originally hung. Behind it was an ancient door, covered in iron and wooden designs.

As if in a trance, Nina walked slowly towards the door and opened it, swinging her flashlight around to see. It was a staircase, one that seemed centuries old, descending into darkness.

No, don't go, said Nina's brain, but her heart lead her onwards. She descended cautiously, wielding her flashlight in front of her like a weapon. Her heart pounded an uncomfortable rhythm in her chest, as mist began to swirl around her feet.

She reached the bottom of the staircase, and focused the beam on her surroundings. She was in a short corridor, of which there was a door at the end. She walked towards it, wondering why she didn't stop herself, when suddenly below her…

A trap door opened below her, and suddenly she was screaming, plunging her into a wet darkness. She tumbled onto a damp floor, smelling of ancient musk, and her flashlight struck the wall, where the light flickered hazily.

"No, don't you die on me!" She shouted at it, but it faded into darkness.

She began to breathe hard, trying not to scream again. "Hello? Hello, can anyone hear me? Help!"

The hole that she tumbled out of was small and steep, and two wet for her to get a grip on. She tried several times before standing, holding herself in the cold, damp darkness. She looked up, and as her eyes adjusted, was able to make the faint outline of a small, circular opening that bars crossed, preventing her escape.

"Dear God, what is this place?" She whispered to herself.

"An oubliette; a prison, much like the one you keep me in," answered a calm, chilling voice from above her. Her skin began to tingle.

"Hello? Is somebody up there?"

Torches that she had never noticed before flared in the walls beside her, without anyone even touching them, and she screamed again. She looked down and saw the mist that had been gathering that was now up to her waist. She looked up, and saw a figure of darkness standing above her. She gasped as the figure fell apart into thousands of bats that flew around her, tangling themselves all over her body.

She screamed frantically, trying to pry them off of her, when they began to cluster together and formed…

"Vlad?" She whispered, before her knees buckled. He was dressed in an almost medieval fashion, with leather vest, cape, and ruffled blouse. He caught her and looked steadily into her eyes.

"No, not Vlad," he answered coldly. "I am Dracula."

"John…He was with you…" She broke off and stared at him. "Who are you…why…" she managed feebly.

"Not who," he answered, teeth glinting. "What. A vampire."

Somehow, even though Nina was not the least superstitious person, she knew he was telling the truth.

She began to sob, even though he still held her strongly by her upper arms and couldn't move. "Why are you doing this to me?" She cried out, trying to struggle against the iron grip.

He laughed, and it chilled her soul. "Because I can't help it, Nina. I wasn't lying to you before when I said I'd fallen in love with you, and wouldn't let you go."

Nina felt as though her heart froze on the spot. "What? Why?"

He sighed, and propped her against the wall somewhat so he could move freely. "Because you warm a frozen vampire's being. I don't have a soul, but you make me feel as though I have one. Something so pure…" he dragged one of fingers down her cheek, and she shivered under his touch. "…to cherish."

Nina's entire being trembled. "Maybe you do have a soul," she tried desperately. "Maybe it's _not_ too late. Maybe you can save yourself…"

His cruel laughter cut her off. "You think you can bargain with me, Nina? Think you can save a poor, lost vampire? Think again." His teeth seemed to grow longer, as he advanced on her. "You'll have eternity to learn that I'm damned. And that you'll be damned right beside me."

He sunk his teeth into the flesh on her neck, and she felt a stab of pain. It then relaxed, and she found herself surrendering to a very calming sensation. He then stepped back, unbuttoned his shirt, and nicked a spot on his chest with a sharp nail. Dark, black blood began to run, and he guided a dazed, delirious Nina to drink from it.

Nina, her minded clouded, was unaware of anything except her and Dracula. She floated in a cloud of warm mist, and suddenly, there was a liquid in her mouth, bile, and at the same time, comforting. She felt herself getting colder and colder, and his arms were around her, beautiful arms, she was melting into him…

"STOP!" A voice filled the oubliette dungeon, and Nina fell to the ground, watching with dazed eyes as Van Helsing entered the area, holding a crucifix before him.

Dracula hissed in displeasure, and drew back. "Van Helsing," he said in steely tones.

"Vlad the Impaler," said Van Helsing calmly. "We meet again. Or should I say Count Dracula?"

"I'll have your blood for marinating my dinner when we're through," said Dracula angrily.

"It's not over until it's over," remarked the professor. "Now get out of here, and leave this poor soul alone."

"I'm not finished with her, and I'm not finished with you," hissed Dracula, before evaporating into a mist.

* * *

Next thing Nina knew, she was lying on a couch with a warm compress on her flesh, surrounded by garlic blossoms.

"Where am I?" She managed, struggling to sit up. Somehow, the beautiful blossoms filled her with repulse.

"In my office," said Van Helsing, who was watching her steadily from by his desk. "My child, you had a run in with the King of the Undead..."

"Vlad," she said sadly.

He looked at her in mild surprise. "You know who he is?"

"I thought I did," she said. "I…we…he said he loved me."

The professor shook his head. "Well this is most unexpected," he said, sitting down at the leather chair behind his desk. "It is in Dracula's nature to lust for both flesh and blood, but love…he did use that word, did he?"

Nina nodded. The professor sank his face into his hands. "He probably wasn't lying. Vampires, especially this one, are very articulate with their needs and desires, as he was with you tonight, my dear child.

"I must ask you something very important: When I came in this evening, had you drank any of his blood?"

"I think I might have," said Nina weakly, feeling disgusted. "I couldn't help myself! It was so calming and relaxing, and at the same time…horrible. I think he may have drunk some of my blood too."

Van Helsing chuckled. "That I know for a fact…what is your name, child?"

"Nina Harker."

"Well, Nina Harker, take a look." He walked over with a round vanity mirror and held it up to her face. The edges of her face seemed a bit fuzzy, and she wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. But what caught her were the marks on her neck, two perfectly spaced pinpricks that were red and scabbing.

"Oh no," said Nina, gasping.

"Bad, isn't it?" Commented Van Helsing.

"No, no, that's not what I meant. Oh my God, Lucy…"

He nodded gravely. "Yes, I am aware of Miss Westenra's situation. How long has she been sick for?"

Nina thought hard. "A couple weeks, maybe three?"

"Three weeks?" His face clouded. "God grant us strength," he prayed fervently, before opening up a drawer, pulling out a dark briefcase, and wrapping a crucifix chain around his neck.

"We have no time to lose," he said, helping her stand. "Are you able to walk?"

"I think so," she said, limping towards the door with Van Helsing in the lead. She felt so weak and drained…

"Lucy," she whispered, as the professor roared the Bug to life and they raced towards her apartment.

* * *

The little Amish girl played with one of the ribbons in her hair. She danced along the grey shores that marked their people's land, singing one of her favourite Sunday School songs. Her shoes slipped along the shore, and she fell down into a little eroded pocket on the side of the stream. She fell onto something lukewarm, that felt of rubbery flesh.

Standing back, she began to scream and shout. "Papa! PAPA!"

"Lord take you, Eliza, what's the matter?" Came her father's stern voice.

"There's a man here, Papa, a man! He's sleeping here!" Her father peered over the ledge to where his daughter and a stranger, drenched and barely breathing, both lay.

"Dear God," whispered the man. "Mother! Mother, come quickly!" His wife trotted down and gasped at the sight.

"Bring him inside, Jonas!" She urged, and the man lifted up the stranger into his arms.

The stranger moaned and struggled in vain. "Sh, it's okay, now, you're going to be just fine," assured Jonas.

"Dracula...falling...Nina..." whimpered the stranger. The man and the woman exchanged glances.

Without a word, the woman took out a crucifix that hung around her neck and pressed it to the man's flesh. Nothing.

"He's fine," she said with relief. "Bring him inside."

And with that, John Murray was brought into the Amish cabin on the outskirts of the Forbidden Lands, safe from Dracula and his mistresses.


	10. New Revelations

Hi…don't hurt me…please see my profile to see why I've been such a terrible updater recently. Thank you for continuing to read my stuff! I haven't read Dracula in a long time, so the next chapter's with John (who really bothers me. But he's a necessary character.) Here's the next chapter!

* * *

John opened his eyes to see a shadow keeping watch over his bed, illuminated by a dying fire. Immediately alert, he shot upright, only to be pushed down again by muscled arms.

"Careful, there," warned a gentle voice. "You need your rest."

"Who are you?" John demanded, writhing feebly. "Are you…one of Them?"

Hesitation. "So you know of Them," the man said sadly. "I should have thought as much. He's getting stronger, He is." He sighed. "Get some rest, my young friend. You truly do need it."

"Who are you?" John repeated.

"My name is Amos, Amos Brannigan. I'm an Amish farmer miles away from the edge of Dracula's estate. You don't need to fear, we will protect you."

John nodded, and sighed against the pillow, the adrenaline leaving his body and fatigue taking its place.

* * *

Dracula stood in the washroom of his castle estate, neatly trimming what little stubble that was growing. Luckily, he knew every inch of his face by heart, so the fact that he had no reflection mattered very little. He ran a comb through his lustrous hair, and smiled at the thought of what he looked like. He had portraits around the house to remind him of his physical appearance, but sometimes it proved to be a bit of a hindrance. Especially as of late, where he had been called upon to put special effort into his appearance. He couldn't turn Canada into a land of shadows looking like a mongrel, naturally.

At least that pesky John Murray was no longer any concern of his. His fall into the river had obviously knocked him unconscious, and with any hope he had drowned before he reached the lands kept sacred by the pious. He scowled at the thought of those dratted Amish. He had lost so much prey due to their warnings and gifts of crucifixes.

Still, Dracula was in remarkably good spirits. Everything was going according to the _new _plan. Although meeting Nina was not at all what he had had in mind, it was proving to be more exciting for him…the thrill of the chase and the anticipation of having her for eternity were smouldering inside of him.

Having fed so recently, he felt some of his youth being restored to him. The vigour that came with it felt so good, but he was weary. Feeling some of the stubble disappear naturally due to the youthfulness that was now flooding him, he wandered over to where his bed was lying waiting for him. With a sigh of satisfaction, he lowered himself into the coffin to regenerate before the coming events unfolded.

* * *

"Professor Van Helsing, sir?" Nina asked timidly, feeling intimidated next to the only man she had seen Dracula fear.

"Yes, Miss Harker?"

"Will we be able to save Lucy?"

Silence.

"Sir?"

"My prayers are for her soul, Miss Harker. Whether or not she survives, my thoughts rest on her soul's fate."

"Her soul? What's wrong with her soul?"

"It is slowly being damned," he answered frankly. "Only through purification will she be able to ever rest in peace."

Nina felt fear well up inside of. She had been expecting something from the movies; reassurance and smiles. Instead, she was left feeling worse.

The Bug glided over the campus terrain and through the gates, heading towards Lucy's apartment.

"Sir? May I ask you a question?"

"You just did, but you may ask another."

"How do you know so much about him?"

The Professor's brow furrowed as he clenched the steering wheel. "I belong to an ancient Order dedicated to the prevention of his rise," He answered. "I see no crime in telling you now that you are involved. Otherwise, this disregard for our secrecy might have resulted in my exile. We have existed for centuries, and we are situated around the globe, constantly battling his offspring. Lately, the King of the Undead had disappeared from our Hunting. His turning up proves that he has been gathering his forces for quite some time. This is not good."

Nina felt as if she was swimming in an ocean of fantasy. "Is he really Evil?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes," answered Van Helsing immediately. "No doubt. Evil in its purest form."

"It can't be possible," she moaned, slumping in her seat, her eyes welling up with tears. "He can't be. I've danced with him, he's held my hand…there's something human in him."

"There is NOTHING human in him, and I suggest you get that through your head if you plan on surviving this as well," he snapped. Then, he softened. "You must understand this, Miss Harker. Evil cannot be sympathised, only destroyed. Once he is destroyed, perhaps his soul will find peace. Perhaps. But as of now, he is planning on turning this entire campus into an army. Brilliant, actually."

The professor clucked his tongue against his mouth. "A concentrated area of thriving, young, intelligent and strong people to become vampires. It doubles in brilliance as the campus is close to all the foreign embassies and the Canadian government. He could easily infiltrate all these organizations and spread faster than you can blink."

He sighed. "I must call in more members of the Order. There are two other apprentice members on campus, but more are needed."

"Who?" Nina asked incredulously, but they had reached Lucy's apartment.

"We're here," he said grimly. "The apprentices are already there, they will meet us inside."

He dove out of the car and Nina followed his example, flying up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. With Van Helsing leading the way with a startling resilience, he dashed down the hall and entered Lucy's apartment without even knocking. Nina followed suit, stunned at the changes the two Apprentices had made.

There was a huge wooden crucifix attached to the door, and garlic blossoms were scattered on the threshold between the apartment and the hall. Nina felt uncomfortable as she stepped into the vampire-free sanctuary, scared of how her life had been transformed. She heard men's voices discussing Lucy urgently, and she walked into her best friend's bedroom where they were clustered.

Lucy was lying there; her ebony skin shades lighter than last time Nina had seen her. Ignoring the two other members of the Order, Nina came and sat on her friend's bedside, reached over and took her hand.

Around Lucy's neck was a wreath of garlic blossoms, as well as a crucifix. All around her were protections against the Undead, and Nina felt the urge to break down at the sight of Lucy's peaceful expression.

"She's been sleeping for the past few hours," came a morose voice, and she looked up and saw Arthur standing there, his blue eyes full of sorrow. "I was too blinded by her charms to realize what was really happening to her."

Nina did a double take.

"When Van Helsing told me that Dracula had selected his victim, I had no idea it would be her. Only when she began to get sick did I realize that it was her…and also how much I loved her."

He shook his head, the confession of his emotions overwhelming him. "I've known her for so long, and finally, when I realize that I love her, she is being stolen from me."

Lord Arthur Holmwood, rich noble, suddenly took on a new dimension for Nina.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, as Arthur looked down on Lucy's face.

He sighed gently. The other man in the room came over and patted Arthur on the back.

"I didn't introduce myself," came the Texan drawl of the handsome, stocky young man with a hardened tan. "Quincy Morris, but my friends just call me Morris."

Nina frowned as she shook his hand. "Your name sounds familiar," she said. "Wait, didn't you ask Lucy out at the beginning of the semester?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Yes I did, ma'am. That was before I knew about Arthur liking her, though. She's got quite a lot of spunk, doesn't she?"

Nina laughed. "Yes, she does."

"What are the odds that two Order members would fancy the girl, though," he said, digging his hands into his pockets.

Nina glanced between them both. "So you are…both…a part of…"

"Yes," answered all three men simultaneously.

"Oh," said Nina, at a loss for words.

"Miss Westenra will recover, as long as the creature does not return," said Van Helsing, placing his stethoscope back in his bag. "Her heart is weakened, but still pumping at a regular pace. As long as she doesn't remove any of the protections that we have put in place for her, he will be unable to access her."

Nina sighed with relief. "Thank you, sir," she said, feeling a burden lifted from her shoulders.

"Arthur, I am leaving her in your charge. Nina, I suggest we head over to your residence and make sure that your room will be protected against him. I have Holy Water and Holy Wafers with me to ensure that he can't get in."

Nina's relief doubled. "Let's go, then," she said. "Lucy will be safe with Arthur, I trust him."

Arthur met her eyes frankly and with unspoken gratitude. "I'll take care of her," he said solidly.

"Come, Miss Harker," said Van Helsing. "Let's go."

They walked out the door and to where the Bug was waiting, on their way to her residence room.

Later that night, Lucy awoke to find Arthur asleep at the foot of her bed. She ruffled his hair fondly. He must have been exhausted after looking after her. She hoped the stupid flu would leave her soon so that she could finally get to go on a real date with him. She tried to roll over to get more sleep, and felt something stick into the side of her neck.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed, and realized that a huge wreath of flowers was wound around her neck. Feeling stifled, she removed the wreath with a grunt of frustration and threw it on the ground. She knew Arthur was a fan of leaving her flowers, but around her neck? That was a little bit too much.

Able to breath once again, looking around with eyes that had finally adjusted to the darkness, she glanced up and saw the crucifix above her bed. With an indignant explanation she took it down and shoved it into her nightstand drawer. She hated the fact that Arthur was now plastering religious items all over her walls. She bitterly looked down on his peaceful face, and her anger ebbed. He looked so sweet and pure in his sleep.

She sighed. She had never known Arthur to be a religious fanatic, but she loved him regardless. She carefully checked her bed for any more strange relics, and was relieved to find none. Satisfied, she settled back into her sheets, falling asleep the instant mist began to curl in through her window.

* * *

Well, there you go! I updated! Hooray for me! Now all YOU have to do is review! 


	11. The Discussion of Life and Death

Well, NOBODY reviewed…which is a shame. But still, I've gotten back into the swing of this story and it will be COMPLETE, come Hell or High Water (hopefully none of the above.) If you are reading this, please review it. I am a very lazy writer and I would really like some motivation to get through this.

Warning: This is a sad story. People die in it. If you don't like it, tough. But the story of Dracula is extremely sad. Be prepared for upcoming deaths.

* * *

Nina sat morosely in her English lecture hall, the professor's words washing right over her as she fiddled absently with her pen. In her left hand she fingered a new cell phone, a gift from Van Helsing.

"Modern communication gives us an incredible advantage," he said sternly as he handed her the phone the night before. "Only members of the Order have this number. We can't even give you this number. All that matters is that you are able to be accessed by us."

"What if I need to ask you questions?" She demanded, tucking the phone into her purse.

"The Order is never contacted by anyone. We do the contacting ourselves. Get some rest, and get ready to go back to your classes. No one must know, and you must continue as if nothing has happened." He had paused. "You know that your fiancé, in all likelihood, is dead."

She had bowed her head in silent acceptance. "Yes," she answered tearfully. Although she could no longer possibly imagine marrying John, she still regretted the loss of her other best friend. She had changed so much, and now the thought of marriage and partnership was lost to her.

"Good luck," Van Helsing had said, walking out of her room. Nina collapsed on her bed, and the next thing she knew it was morning and time for English.

She was jarred from her thoughts as her cell phone rang with a shrill whistle. Everyone stopped and glared at her, as she clumsily opened it and stared at the text message.

D STRUCK AGAIN. L IN GRAVE DANGER. PLEASE COME AS SOON AS YOU CAN WITHOUT ATTRACTING ATTENTION. YOUR FRIEND NEEDS YOU.

It came from a blocked number, and Nina nervously closed the phone.

"Miss Harker? Am I keeping you from your social circles?" Professor Thatcher asked pointedly.

Nina turned red. "I'm really sorry," she said, sinking in her seat.

"First strike, Nina. In my class, you only get three." The professor shook her head and turned back to her notes.

Nina felt nerves arise in her as the class slowly ended. She slammed her notebook shut, threw it inside the case, and made a dash for the door.

"Miss Harker?" Came Professor Thatcher's voice, just as she reached the door. "May I see you for a moment?"

Nina turned around, her heart beating in her chest. Lucy, she thought. Lucy needs me.

"Nina, it concerns me when my prized pupil is spacing out in my class. You've been nervous, unfocussed, and then today you interrupted my lecture with your phone! Nina, I am shocked!"

Nina bent her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "But…"

"No buts," said the professor. "Nina, your passion for literature is undeniable." Her tone hardened. "But your passion for my class is questionable. You have been warned. I will not be so gracious next time."

Nina sighed. "Thank you."

Without another word, she ran out the door.

When Nina arrived breathless at Lucy's apartment, the atmosphere was grim. Morris sat on the couch nursing his arm, where slight bloodstains were marked on his shirt, and Arthur stood in the kitchen, glaring out the window. Van Helsing was nowhere to be seen, but she assumed he was with Lucy in her bedroom.

She opened her mouth to ask what had happened, but Arthur quickly explained.

"He came back again last night. She had removed the garlic and the crucifix and was susceptible. She was almost dead when I woke up, and Morris had to do a blood transfusion just to save her."

His eyes were haunted. "I wanted to be the one to do it, but our blood types don't match. The Doc hacked into her records and found her blood type, and Morris's matched." He hurled a tea towel at the refrigerator. "I can't do anything to protect her."

Morris was silent. Nina sat down next to him; glad to find a companion who was just as lost in thought as she was. Just as soon as she had made herself comfortable, Van Helsing exited Lucy's room slowly.

Immediately, Arthur attacked him. "Is she alright? Will she make it? God, Doc, is she still alive?"

"She's alive," said Van Helsing, "But just barely. Her body needs to regenerate the loss of blood." He sighed. "However, he has drained her multiple times and her immune system is extremely weak. The next time may kill her."

"There won't be a next time," Nina said determinedly. "I won't let him do it again."

Van Helsing shook his hand and snorted. "Well, I admire your courage, young lady, but you can't stop him that easily."

Nina's chin took on a stubborn lift.

"Watch me."

She walked towards the door.

"Stop!" Commanded Van Helsing. "What are you doing?"

She simply looked at him. "Do you have any extra crucifixes on you?" She asked plainly.

He stared at her.

"Look, I'm doing this with or without your help. We're long overdue for a talk. Now, do you have any extra crucifixes?"

From his bag he took a golden crucifix on a chain.

"God be with you," he said fervently as she put it around her neck.

"Thanks, same to you," she answered mechanically, feeling the surprising warmth of the cross. It was almost too hot to touch, but she tucked it beneath her shirt.  
She strode out the door, her anger burning inside of her.

Outside, she walked briskly back onto the campus, and pushed her way through the crowds of people to get to Carfax Hall. Night had fallen on the campus and crowds filled the sidewalks, on their ways to clubs and bars. She remembered vaguely how some noble had been planning on knocking it down to build a new athletic centre. Now, seeing the ancient building looming before her, she couldn't think of anything more suited for Dracula's domain.

Bring it on, she thought, walking around the ivy-coated walls to the back where drug lords often met with their clients. She surveyed the area and saw no one. Good. He wouldn't let anyone interfere.

She opened the ancient door into the recently abandoned drug den. Broken glass crunched beneath her feet as she continued through into the main gymnasium area.

What was once an ancient basketball court was now a lair of Hell. The windows were cracked and covered in dust and cobwebs, the equipment scattered. The old benches were broken and covered in a layer of dust, and the entire room was blanketed with evil vibrations.

In the stands above the court, bats screeched and fluttered around, circling the ceiling. She stared at them calmly. She had a purpose here, and nothing could distract her from it.

"Nina…" a voice whispered, echoing around the gym.

He was here.

"Cut the crap," she said sharply. "I don't care about your stupid tricks. I'm here to talk to you, not to listen to you pretend to be sinister."

"Fair enough," came Dracula's clipped British voice from behind her. "Although, I'm not exactly pretending."

She spun, and found him there, in full ancient regalia. He wore a black, stretch leather vest over a dark shirt, tight pants and boots up to his knees. A black cloak was draped lazily over his shoulders, and his hair hung over his shoulders in gentle cascades. Although his appearance was deceivingly harmless, the air around his trembled with evil.

Nina felt a small tremor of fear make its way from her head to toe, as he took a step forward. His smile opened wider, revealing his very white teeth.

"Fear," he murmured softly, stepping closer. "I can smell it in you…I can almost taste it in you."

His tongue slithered out to lick his lips, and Nina felt strangely helpless. She wanted to do nothing more than melt into those muscled arms and feel him around her. She was aware of his pure evil, yet there was something she yearned to have.

The image of Lucy, lying broken and weak in her bed, brought her back to reality. With a wave of determination, she dug into her shirt and pulled out the crucifix.

"You won't be tasting anything more if I can help it," she said, aiming it at him.

He hissed and drew back, the anger in his eyes obvious. Nina felt victory flash inside her. Now who has the upper hand? She thought happily.

He chuckled. "Clever minx. You have learned the ways well. But how long until it turns against you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

He laughed, the muscles in his arms flexing as he crossed them. "You aren't quite the pure soul I first met, my dear. You allowed yourself to drink my blood, which was all it took. You're slowly becoming just like me."

Nina's eyes widened. "That's not possible!"

"Oh, I have made many creatures of the night," he said silkily. "But you are the first I will make to be my equal. And you will be the only one."

"What!"

"I have made three brides in the past, but they soon bored me. But you are different from them. They were never allowed to drink from my blood. True, they are more beautiful then you, but it is not only your beauty that I crave but also your beautiful spirit. Combined, it is like the first beam of sunshine in a land that has never known warmth. Don't you worry, my dear, you'll have eternity to understand what I mean."

Unbidden, tears leaked down her face.

"No," she whispered, and her hand twitched in agony, causing her to drop the crucifix. She screamed and ran over to where it bounced. Her hand was almost upon it when a boot slammed down on it. With an uncanny strength, Dracula ground the crucifix into the ground, and she heard the gold snap. When he lifted his boot, it had been broken in two, and the floor beneath it had also shattered.

Dracula looked down on her and smiled. "Gotcha."

Nina screamed and struggled to get up. Her entire plan was ruined. Gasping, she managed to get up, and had only run for a few feet when an iron grip seized her wrist.

"Hold still," he said condescendingly as she fought against his grip.

"Let…me…go," Nina shouted through gritted teeth. He sighed and blew gently on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered and she felt dizzy. She felt her knees turn to water and with a hazy mind, she felt herself being scooped up.

"Let's go somewhere a little more cozy, shall we?" He said lightly, and Nina was vaguely aware of his legs turning into bats, while his upper torso and arms remained intact. Then, she was lifted off the ground, and she would have screamed if she had been able to. They flew over the top benches that overlooked the court and into a smaller room that was off to the side. She recognized it as an old coach's quarters. He put her down on the couch, still slightly paralysed, and slowly his legs materialized.

Nina managed to pull herself up to examine her surroundings. The quarters will small but cozy, the walls lined with athletic books. The couch she sat on was old and moth-eaten, but soft to the touch. The floors were ancient hardwood with ragged Persian carpets, and a broken desk sat abandoned in the corner.

As she regained her motor skills, she realized Dracula was busy lighting a fire in a majestic fireplace that lay before her. Once the fire was blazing, he stood and looked at her.

"Much better, wouldn't you say? And, seeing as we don't want you running away…" he gestured at the thick oak doors and they slammed shut; with another gesture she heard a fatal click of a lock. Nina shuddered as he walked cockily towards her.

"Now," he said kneeling before her, taking both her hands in his. "What is it that made you walk all the way over here, in the middle of the night, when you know that I'm after you?" He placed a kiss gently on her knuckles, and the moment would have been almost tender if it hadn't been for the hunger in his eyes. "What is it you needed to tell me?"

"Lucy," she said simply. "I want you to leave her alone."

"Why would I do that? I need her, or at least someone, in order to remain alive. You wouldn't want me to die, would you, Nina?" He reached up and stroked a finger down her cheek.

She sighed. "May I at least ask you some questions?"

His face revealed his surprise. "All right. Your innocence and curiosity intrigues me. Ask away."

"Who are you?"

"My name really is Dracula. I was once known in Europe as Vlad the Impaler. I received my name after impaling my prisoners upon pikes." Nina looked away, but he took her chin and forced her to look at him. "After my enemies killed my father, I made a deal with the Devil to become an Avenger. I didn't care that I was a tool of evil, I only cared that I was an instrument to bring about their destruction."

"You have already had Brides?"

"Yes, but only to satisfy centuries of built-up lust."

"Are they still bound to you?"

"Yes, but that could be easily remedied. Once you are mine, I will ensure their elimination. I wouldn't want you getting…jealous." He smirked, and more tears made their way down her cheeks.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What, to you, or in general?"

"Both."

"Very well. You know already why I have shown special interest in you. I have told you on several occasions, and once I revealed too much. Why in general? Why do all great men kill? For greatness, for power, for their dreams! When all this is over, I'll be King of the Night, in a world where darkness rules and with a Queen by my side. Wouldn't you love to be a Queen, Nina? You could be one."

She shook her head.

"Dracula," she murmured. "Vlad…please…please stop this."

She heard his breath catch, and she looked in his eyes, desperately pleading. Please, she thought sincerely, please. The fire reflected in his dark eyes looked almost human, and with a surge of passion, Nina leaned forward and kissed him.

As she swayed with the intensity of the kiss, she poured more into it. Love, regret, sadness, mercy…running her hands through his hair, she prayed for him to feel human if only for a second.

Dracula, taken aback, responded almost instantly. He clutched her to his chest, feeling almost human as he held this perfect woman in his arms. This was what he had hungered for; this is what he had killed for. His hands traced her jaw, ran down her neck…

Nina pulled back with a low cry. He had touched the two sore spots on her neck, where his teeth had sunk in almost twenty-four hours ago.

That jolted him awake. He would have millennia to love and enjoy Nina, but right now, she was a threat to his invasion. An intriguing and amusing threat, but right now, he needed to focus.

She realized the change in his eyes. She sat up immediately and put a soft hand on his cheek. "Vlad…"

He hissed and jumped back. "Fool!" He shouted, and she wasn't sure if he meant her or himself. She recoiled as he pulled out a vanity mirror from on top of the desk and vanished, reappearing instantly behind her.

"Look, Madam Nina," he sneered, holding the mirror before her. She tried to find his reflection but couldn't. "No," he continued. "Look at your own."

She saw her very frightened reflection, and her fright intensified as she realized her reflection was ethereal and fuzzy. Although it was still mostly solid, something was wrong.

"Already you are transforming," he said breathily against her ear. "It is a race against time. I could make you completely mine right now, this instant, but I won't. You must learn first what it is like to be how I used to be. To know how it feels to lose something precious…or rather, someone."

Nina launched herself away from him. "Already you have taken John from me," his eyes flared at the name of her fiancé. "Please, Vlad, don't take Lucy."

There was a glimmer of hesitation in his eyes. "It's too late," He said softly. "I had already sent one of my Brides, Greta, to finish her."

Nina screamed in pure agony. Never before had she made such a sound, even when her father had been hitting her in a drunken stupor. She collapsed on the ground, shaking.

A breeze circled around her. There, there, it said gently. Both you and Lucy will live together for eternity. The line between life and death is only a line, nothing more. Death is never final.

With a final caress, the wind vanished and the fire died, leaving Nina alone in the dark, sobbing.

Meanwhile, back at Lucy's apartment, an alluring woman glided through the walls of the bedroom. Holy Wafer, holy flatbread that was similar to that used at Passover, had been sprinkled around her bed. A young man with sandy brown hair and handsome features slept at her feet, keeping watch. She felt a surge of lust but suppressed it. Dracula had sent her on a specific mission.

"Lucy," Greta called softly, her voice taking on a misty quality. Lucy stirred in her sleep. "Lucy, come to me, come to me and we'll play…"

Lucy sat up, still asleep, and sleepwalked across the holy threshold, a smile on her lips.

Greta grinned in anticipation. "That's a good girl." She bent her head to Lucy's neck.

When Arthur woke up the next morning, Lucy was dead.

* * *

I know, you all hate me because Lucy died. Take that up with Mr. Stoker, not me. Lucy dies in the book, and her death fits in nicely with the plot. She's not getting resurrected or anything either, so don't get any ideas. Please review this, I'd really appreciate it.

Till the next chapter, dear reader.


	12. Casualties of War

Yay! Another Update! I am truly a review-starved artist as the categories I write in aren't the most popular. If you read this, please review it!

* * *

The next time Nina saw Van Helsing, Morris and Arthur was at Lucy's funeral. She sat near the front, shaking with unshed tears, dressed in sombre black. Mr. Westenra had spared no expense for the funeral, and the outdoor ceremony in front of Lucy's newly built mausoleum was decked in finery. White lilies wavered in the breeze, gauzy fabrics were draped over the whitewashed chairs, and there was a string quartet setting up for the reception.

Nina had the unfortunate luck to be seated next to Mr. and Mrs. Westenra. Lucy's mother sobbed through the entire ceremony, while Lucy's father stared softly into the distance, rubbing his wife's back. Mr. Westenra had always seemed cold and distant to Nina, a hardened diplomat who wanted nothing to do with Lucy, but now he seemed to be lost without his child.

Nina shuddered as the coffin lid was shut by the priest and carried by the pallbearers into the mausoleum. The looming building was white with Grecian pillars making up part of the architecture. Across the front, in bold stone letters, was the name Westenra. The building gleamed with white stone and marble. It was built in a cemetery extremely close to the University, which had always been Lucy's real home. The Westenra's had recognized this and had wanted their child to be where she had truly been happy.

As the ceremony ended, and the legions of black-wearing mourners made their way to a reception hall, Nina finally understood the perspective of Ophelia from Hamlet. All throughout her studying as an English major, she had never understood Ophelia's madness. Now, with her best friend dead at the hands of a man who she possibly loved, she pitied Ophelia. Nina was no damsel in distress, but the pain of losing Lucy to Vlad was like a thousand knives stabbing into her heart.

No, not Vlad, she reminded herself. Dracula. His name was Dracula. He was a vampire. He was evil.

A tear made its way down her cheek. It was foolish, she knew, but she truly did love him. He made her feel alive and more beautiful and special than anyone else. His charm and sophistication were attractive, yes, but there was a magnetism that pulled him to her, and vice versa. Maybe it was the Persephone Syndrome: she had fallen in love with the Devil and wanted to save him and love him till the day she died.

She stood by the cheese and cracker platters and listened to the music idly. This wouldn't have been Lucy's ideal funeral. If it had been up to Lucy, a crew of break-dancers would be spinning around in place of the gloomy music the quartet played. The lights wouldn't be soft and glowing, but rather multicoloured and flashing.

Nina bit into a grape. It tasted like cardboard. Chewing it for the sake of doing something, she thought about John. She felt pure regret. He was another casualty of war, again killed at the hands of her beloved. Would he ever have the chance for a funeral ceremony? She prayed that his disappearance would soon raise questions. Far too many people believed he had bolted from Nina. A few well-sent emails from Vlad had ensured that.

Dracula, she reminded herself again, as Arthur approached her.

He looked dashing in a black suit and shirt, but his expression was agonizing. Silently they embraced, and Nina felt her heart tremble in compassion for him. He shook as he began to cry into her hair, and she just held him, feeling utterly sorry for her new friend. It wasn't long before tears began to fall from her eyes as well.

"I'll kill him," Arthur finally muttered. "If it's the last thing I do, I will kill him."

Nina said nothing. All of the mourners, except for four, thought that Lucy had died because of some mysterious disease from the "bug bites" on her neck. Mr. Westenra had forbid that any autopsies be performed, to the relief of the Order members.

"She's dead," Mr. Westenra had said plainly. "What good would it do to desecrate her poor body? It wouldn't change anything."

Now, as Arthur let go of her, she was reminded of the horrible reality she was faced with. Both her best friend and her fiancé were dead. Her professors were angry with her. The man she loved was evil. Not only was he evil, but also she and three others were now responsible for his imminent destruction.

Arthur nodded at her, the gratitude in his eyes obvious, and moved into the crowd, joining Morris and Van Helsing.

How much worse could this get? Nina thought desperately, just as Mr. and Mrs. Westenra confronted her.

"Hello, Nina dear," said Mrs. Westenra, her eyes red-rimmed and her face drawn. Mr. Westenra just looked on.

"Hello," Nina said awkwardly. "How are you…how are you feeling?"

Mrs. Westenra dabbed at her nose with a handkerchief. "In all honesty, terribly," she said frankly. "No parent should ever have to sit through their child's funeral." She sighed gravely and heavily. "We wish to talk to you about something very important. Lucy had a will; we had made her create one once she turned nineteen. She made some revisions as of a year ago, and she left her apartment and all of its possessions…to you."

That was a shock. "What?"

"She left her car to Arthur, and her remaining estate and funds to us, but you and he were her only true friends that remained with her throughout the years. We, both my husband and I, are so grateful for your friendship and support you had for our daughter. We don't think we could ask for anything more than to have you move in there. You could do with her possessions as you please, my husband and I have no desire to go through them."

Nina was beyond words. "Thank you," she managed, her eyes brimming with tears. Although Lucy's relationship with her parents was extremely strained, their kindness and insight after her death was astounding.

Mr. Westenra fished mutely through his expensive Italian suit and handed her a key.

"It's yours," he whispered. "Do with it as you like. We know you, who knew her maybe better than we did, will put everything to good use."

Nina nodded and accepted the key, and then began to sob. She embraced both the Westenras, and made a hasty retreat from the reception. Outside, she pulled out her cell phone and called a cab. She was sure that the Order wouldn't mind that small expense. As it pulled up, Van Helsing appeared and opened the door for her.

"I'm sorry," he said gravely, his expression blank. Nina felt a surge of anger, and nodded indifferently. This was so much to handle.

"Thank you," she said stiffly.

"It may not be over as far as she is concerned," he continued urgently. "As I said before, it is now her soul in jeopardy. I pray that she was able to ascend, but I fear that she may be trapped as one of the Undead."

"Don't you dare," Nina whispered. "Don't you dare even think that. Lucy is an angel. I know she is."

He examined her through his ancient spectacles. "I hope that you're right," he acquiesced; shutting the door for her and watching the cab pull away.

* * *

When Nina reached her residence room, she found everything in perfect order, as before she left. She quickly made a decision in her mind, and began packing everything up. She could withdraw the rest of her residence fees and make a fresh start from Lucy's apartment. All that was left was the spring semester, and then she was finished University. She could start a completely new life.

She sorted things into categories, things to be sold, things to be donated, things to keep. She worked with a steady efficiency. The afternoon passed into evening quickly, and soon Nina was completely finished. The things to be sold could be kept until the end of the month. A large student-run garage sale always took place in one of the halls at the end of each month; to help struggling students get a little extra cash by pawning off their possessions. She would take it with her.

The things to be donated she lifted downstairs to the main floor, where a Goodwill donation box stood waiting. She lifted the things inside and returned to her room. She opened the student directory and found Arthur's phone number. She dialled it and heard his morose voice answer.

"Hi, Arthur, it's me, Nina," she said.

"Hello, Nina. What can I do for you?"

"Would you be able to help me move into Lucy's apartment tonight? I'd like to do it as soon as possible, and if there's anything in there that you want, you're welcome to it."

She heard his breath catch. "Sure, I'll be right over. What residence are you in?"

"Hereford Hall, room 311."

"Okay, I'll be right over. Oh, and Nina?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

He hung up, leaving Nina to place a few calls to withdraw her deposit.

Arthur arrived and helped her to unload all her things. She was surprised at the amount of things she had, and made a mental note to sort through everything again to see if she could adapt a more minimalist attitude.

When they drove up to the apartment complex, Nina's heart began to pound. This was her new home. What had once been Lucy's now belonged to her. Would she be able to handle living in her dead friend's apartment?

Lucy wanted you to have it, her mind affirmed, as they pulled into the parking spot. She wouldn't have left it to you if she hadn't wanted you to live in it.

They picked up as many boxes as they could and struggled through the door, riding up the elevator in silence. When they reached her floor, Nina pulled out the key with a trembling hand.

"Here we go," she said softly, as the key slid through the metal of the door handle and admitted them into Lucy's home.

The air was thick with the scent of Lucy. The messy furniture, the dirt dishes in the sink, and the letters sitting unopened on the kitchen table made it seem as if she were still alive, and the apartment was still waiting for her. Nina set down the box and turned on the lights.

"Look around, Arthur, and if you see anything that catches your eye, please let me know."

He nodded and began wandering around the apartment. Meanwhile, Nina returned to his car and began to unload more of her things. When she returned with the final box, he came in with a small box of possessions.

"Would these be okay?" He asked, a little timidly. Inside was Lucy's jewellery box, including Lucy's grandmother's golden crucifix. She picked up the metal, which was again extremely warm to her touch, and put it around his neck.

"Now she'll always be protecting you," she said gently. She noticed his eyes tearing up and looked into the box again to spare Arthur his dignity. There were a few trinkets that he had given her and nothing else that was of importance to Nina.

"Take it," she said. "God be with you." Although Nina had never been religious, the words were fervent on her lips. God had never seemed so realistic to her before. When living in a world where vampires feared signs of the Almighty, He had to be real. Or at least she hoped.

Arthur left without a word, and soon Nina was busy unpacking. Her mind was full of memories that she and Lucy had shared. Their food fights, their sleepovers, their parties…they had shared everything. Lucy had been there when John supposedly broke up with Nina, and Nina had been there to coach Lucy into going out with Arthur.

She laughed out loud when she remembered going clubbing with Lucy. Lucy had been so suave and the object of attention, while Nina had struggled just to keep up. Nina remembered first meeting John, and Lucy's immediate disapproval of him. She remembered staying up until four in the morning discussing everything with Lucy.

Nina didn't know when the tears started to fall, but soon her face was saturated. Her eyes became heavy and she collapsed on the couch. It didn't feel right to sleep in Lucy's room, the place where she had died. Not yet.

She drifted into dreamless slumber, her emotional exhaustion seeping into her. Finally, she was truly home, in the sanctuary that Lucy had left her.

* * *

That night, at the newly constructed mausoleum, a fine dust trickled out between the gaps of the two marble doors. Materializing, it turned into the statuesque figure of a beautiful young woman in a diaphanous dress. She stretched, feeling her body as she had never felt it before. Power thrummed through her veins as she looked up to the moon.

Greta and the other two Brides stepped out from behind tombstones and smiled at her.

"Welcome, sister," they hissed, smiling with blood-red lips.

Lucy's lips drew into a smile exactly like theirs, as together they disappeared into a mist. It was time to Hunt.


	13. Possession of Souls

Hello again. Thanks for reviewing! I know that this isn't a popular category, but thanks to everyone who put in his or her two cents worth and have helped to keep me motivated. I owe it all to you!

And to all of you who have ever fell prey to the fabulous show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Van Helsing in this is sort of like Giles. I mean, he's older, Dutch, and has a beard, but the way he moves and his mannerisms are just like Giles, if that helps with the visualization.

Oh, and someone also asked if all the characters who died in the novel will die here. The answer is yes. This is basically a full rewrite of the novel in modern times, with a bit of my own spice thrown in there. I find it's much better sometimes to stick to the original.

Now, on with the show!

* * *

Norman Meisner, gravedigger of the University Memorial Cemetery, looked around him anxiously as he navigated around the graves. The full moon was shining down on the crisp tombstones, and mist swirled around his feet. He shivered, as his fear rose up in him again.

Meisner was not much to look at. He was a slightly overweight balding man who was unmarried. He sweated and twisted his fingers when he was nervous, as he was doing right now. He adjusted his glasses and continued walking along the graves.

Unfortunately for him, Meisner suffered from an extraordinary case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The OCD was the reason he was a gravedigger in the first place. His mind forced him to interact constantly with the dead. The consequences, if he didn't, were painful. Once, when he defied the voices inside his head, he knocked himself unconscious with a shovel. Ever since then, he had done as he had been told. He dug graves in under half an hour, and raced to ensure that he would beat that time limit.

Once a month, and occasionally twice, he would head out under the light of the full moon to the cemetery, and would sleep amongst the graves. Every time it frightened him, but that was what the OCD had commanded. Fearful of the consequences, he obeyed, and found himself sleeping with the dead beneath the full moon.

Now, as he lay between two graves that he had chosen, he felt a chill go up his spine. Something tonight was different. Even though he was in urban Ottawa, he could hear the howl of a wolf. And he had never yet slept between the graves with mist running tendrils along his legs. He shivered again, sensing something not-quite-right nearby.

A flash of white cloth, a female sigh on the breeze, and suddenly Meisner knew he was no longer alone. Frightened beyond belief, but too tense to do anything about it, he remained where he was, curling up defensively.

Female laughter sprinkled the air with delicate notes, and gentle breathing made its way to his ears.

"Come out and play," whispered her voice again, singing gently. Meisner swallowed hesitantly before demanding, "Who's there?"

The laughter sounded again, but this time it was more sinister. "Come and see," she ordered, and Meisner felt the OCD kick in. Her voice was similar to the voices that constantly spoke in his head. She had to be obeyed. He stood, and picked his way amongst the graves.

Finally, he came to the grand new mausoleum that had been built for some wealthy young woman who had just died. Standing on the steps was a goddess.

Her dark eyes were empty, yet they glowed with an unseen fire, and the full moon on her dusky mocha skin made her seem like a Grecian Siren. Her body was lean and sculpted beneath the thin, gauzy gown that she wore, and her crimson lips were smiling, revealing perfect white teeth.

"Come to me," she called passionately, and with a moan of desire, he ran to her arms. She hissed in his ear, as she slowly nuzzled her way down his neck. She licked her lips and bit into the tender flesh, feeling energy seep into her as he went limp in her arms. When she had fed sufficiently, she threw his body to the others, who quickly finished him off.

"Well done, sister," they acknowledged. Lucy smiled. What a relief it was to be evil.

* * *

Dr. Van Helsing padded down the distressed wooden stairs of his Victorian on-campus home and into the kitchen, starting the coffee machine and going outside to pick up the mail and the newspaper. He yawned as he automatically picked up the newspaper and mail and deposited it on the kitchen table, anxious for his morning caffeine.

When he had his coffee settled firmly in his hand, he picked up the morning paper and scanned the headline. Some nonsense about politicians took up the front page, some deal that the government had made. He rolled his eyes and skipped over to the side column. His eyes widened and he sprayed his coffee out in surprise, dousing the page in regurgitated caffeine.

Immediately he went to the phone and dialled Nina's cell.

"Nina? It's Van Helsing. I need you and the others to come here immediately."

* * *

John finished tucking his sturdy cotton shirt into his pants, and affixed a tool belt around his abdomen. In it he placed a wooden stake, a metal crucifix, a bottle of Holy Water, a container of Holy Wafers, and ground garlic. Around his neck he hung a small silver cross. He said a fervent prayer before leaving the room, to where Amos, Hannah and Eliza were waiting.

"You will be careful won't you?" Said Amos gently. We know what you're up against. We've been warning the locals for years to stay away from that devil's place."

"Yes," said John firmly. "Now that you know for sure that his castle has been abandoned, I'm going up there to get my car. Then, I'll go back to the University and get Nina and we'll be out of here. There are two tickets to Europe with our names on it."

Amos and the other Amish settlers had scanned the forbidden area to ensure that its residents were truly gone. The castle was completely abandoned. John wagered that Carfax Hall, the abandoned building that he sold to Dracula, was their new headquarters.

"Good luck," said little Eliza. "God Bless."

"Thank you," answered John, ruffling her blonde curls.

"Should there be anything else you require, you just let us know," said Hannah, embracing him.

John grinned a little sheepishly.

"Actually there is one little thing," he conceded. "That soup that you made? The one with the potatoes in it? Could I, um, have a copy of that recipe please? Nina would love it."

With the recipe tucked firmly in his pocket, John began the long walk to Dracula's castle to retrieve his BMW. He held the metal crucifix before him the entire journey, and sensed nothing of the evil that he felt when first entering Dracula's domain.

When he came into sight of his BMW, he took off at a run. He reached it, and remembered that the keys were in his briefcase. The briefcase was in the castle.

"No way in hell am I going in there," he muttered. An idea occurred to him, and he unclasped the cross around his neck. He inserted it into the keyhole and wiggled it around, praying it would unlock before the car alarm alerted anything evil to his presence.

Finally, he heard the satisfactory click, and he opened the car door. Luckily, everything seemed in order, and Dracula seemed confident enough of John's apparent demise not to dismantle anything. A brief check under the hood confirmed that.

His deft fingers opened the glove compartment and searched inside. The fingers danced along, scanning, until he found the button he was looking for. With an exclamation of happiness, he sprung it, grabbed the spare keys from the hidden compartment, and started the car.

Feeling like a white knight on his way to rescue his lady fair, John and his steed tore out of the castle parking lot on the road to the university.

* * *

"It was Lucy's first Hunt. I'm sure of it," said Van Helsing, slapping the newspaper angrily. "She's one of the Undead now. She must have died in the process of being drained, not from lack of blood. Here, listen to this:

"Scientists are startled by this recent outbreak of viruses contracted by two consecutive bug bites to the neck. Originally the cause of death for the daughter of a diplomat, this new disease was responsible for the death of Norman Meisner. Strangely enough, he was a gravedigger at the same cemetery that Lucy Westenra, the first victim, was buried.

"However, an autopsy of the body later revealed that Meisner's death was not due to the virus, but rather to blood loss. Dr. Hadfield, the doctor leading the autopsy, says he is 'baffled. In my entire career in medicine, I have never seen such a remarkable loss of blood in such a short time, especially considering the only outlet for the loss could have been through the two puncture wounds to the neck.'

"Conspiracy buffs claim that it is the work of extraterrestrials, while police are speculating that it could be a new way of murder for drug lords and mafia. However, what a diplomatic daughter and gravedigger have in common is escaping the police's speculations."

Van Helsing paused and took a sip from his coffee. "The article continues, but it is of nothing of importance. What matters is that Lucy is now one of the Undead."

"Is Meisner now one of the Undead?"

"No, the autopsy would have prevented that. Evil would not want possession over a damaged body."

"Will we be able to save her soul?" Nina asked gently, on the verge of tears.

Van Helsing fixed her with a steady and grave gaze. "We must pray God will be merciful on her soul. Prayers are always heard, Nina. My suggestion is to pray."

She shivered and nodded, as did Morris and Arthur.

Meanwhile, her thirst for blood has been satisfied. My guess is that she won't rise for another three days. Get your rest, go to your classes. We'll meet up again in three days. Then, we'll go to the cemetery."

"Do I have to?" Nina whispered. "I don't think I can." She longed to be strong, but she didn't think she would be able to face her friend as a vampire.

"Arthur and Morris are bound by duty to join me, but you are not. You are excused from this."

Nina sighed from relief. This was beginning to wear away on her sanity.

She left Van Helsing's home and began a slow walk back to her new apartment. Now that she was situated off campus, it was a longer walk.

As spring was just coming into bloom, she shed her sweater felt the breeze against her t-shirt. She breathed in the scent of magnolia blossoms, and felt inner calm replacing the turmoil that raged there.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Remarked a voice, and she turned and saw Vlad matching her pace. Dracula, she affirmed again. In the glance that she perceived him in, she noted he was wearing a black, stretched shirt over dark jeans.

"Go away," she said quietly. "I don't need this right now."

"What happened to your manners?" He said casually.

"Don't you melt in the sun?" She said sharply. "Isn't that what vampires are supposed to do?"

He shrugged. "You forget that I am the King of the Undead. I do whatever I want, regardless of the sun. Although it does make me mildly uncomfortable."

"Well boo-hoo for you. What do you want?"

"Just to talk."

"Well we've talked. Goodbye." She doubled her pace. He doubled it with her. It was only then she realized that she couldn't keep the pace, as her heart had already been pounding a fast percussion. She stopped suddenly.

"This is all just a game to you, isn't it?" She snarled angrily. "Lucy, John, that poor gravedigger, and I'm sure countless others!"

"It's not a game," he assured her sombrely. "It's life. It's the way life is. Where there is creation there is death and destruction. I simply personify it and am in the process of making it a permanent state."

"Don't," she said firmly. "Stop this. You don't have to do it. If there's anything I can do to make you stop, then I'll do it."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Anything?" Vlad asked.

"Anything," she confirmed, praying that it would work.

He cupped her chin in his strong hands, and with the speed of a snake kissed her. This was unlike their other kisses. It was desperate and full of need, and it lifted her above the clouds and below the earth. When he broke away from her, she gasped for air.

"I plan on having my cake," he whispered in her ear, "and eating it too."

With that he walked away. Stunned, Nina recollected herself and yelled after him.

"You can't just kiss me like that and walk away!" She shouted. "And if you think for one second that you're actually going to win this then you're dead wrong, mister!"

He turned, smirked, and replied casually, "The let the games begin."

Vlad saluted and melted into the shadows.

* * *

Well, lucky number thirteen! The story is alive and well!

P.S. I personally think Dracula is quite sexy. He can drain my blood anytime.

P.S.S. Actually, I would prefer if he DIDN'T, but he's still sexy.


	14. Painting and Fainting

**Well, since people thought that my description of Van Helsing helped, here's my cast list if this were ever to be a movie or something.**

**Nina: For both she and Dracula, I won't name anyone specific who I would want, since it might ruin your own visual image. That drives me crazy. But picture a touch of Emmy Rossum-like innocence and subtle beauty with Anne Hathaway's hair. Really, though, keep her your own way.**

**Dracula: No way could I ever cast him. He's sexier than anything words can describe, and I won't wreck your own personal visualization of him by trying to cast him.**

**Van Helsing: Anthony Stewart Head from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But with a beard.**

**Lucy: Vivica A. Fox. Tough girl.**

**John: Topher Grace. Good looking but too conventional.**

**Arthur & Morris: No idea. Just imagine them as you would.**

**Remember, these are visual guidelines, not actual castings of these roles. If you want to keep your original picture, go right ahead.**

**Oh, and one reviewer said, "I would post my stories if I thought they were good enough." (That's not a direct quote). What's stopping you? Go for it! Let me know that you've posted and I'll be sure to review. You can't get better unless you practice and get good advice!**

**Another little oops: I read over my earlier chapters and it said Lucy was the daughter of a wealthy Los Angeles based tycoon, not a diplomat. Oops. I forgot. So let's just pretend that he was a diplomat that did work in L.A. before coming to Ottawa. But the point is that they are extremely wealthy.**

**Anyways, enough with this. On with the story!**

* * *

When Nina got back to the apartment that evening, she rifled through one of the unopened boxes and found her art supplies. Even though she had only taken art throughout high school, she found it calming and was quite good at Expressionism. Putting on some classical music, she poured colours on to her palette and began painting furiously. 

She had been unable to find an outlet for her emotions during the past few weeks. Between John and Lucy's deaths, Dracula, and trying to keep up with school, the stress had been making her extremely irritable. Now, swirling pain on in fresh red strokes, she felt it messing away.

Black. Red. Streaks of yellow. She hardly knew what she was painting until an image slowly started to appear in the centre of her canvas. She was painting Vlad. Even though it was abstract, with swirling lines, a murky face and hidden amongst crimson splashes, the eyes reflected everything she saw in him. His passion, evil, hunger, and with a small touch that Nina added, sadness.

For hours she sat in front of her canvas applying paint. The CDs in the tray played continuously as she worked. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of the events, and fell as she continued to work in steady movements. Is this how Persephone felt? She thought. I've fallen for the Lord of Darkness, and instead of letting me save him he wants to keep me in shadow. The strange thing is that I want to join him.

She sighed. Nina definitely had Persephone-syndrome. She would go into Hell just for Vlad, and both of them knew it. But she knew in her soul that in order to save him, it wouldn't end pleasantly. So that was the choice: live together forever in dark eternity, or kill him to save him.

The choice was still on Nina's mind when she finished the painting. Vlad's eyes gazed out at her through the layers of paint, and she was forced to turn it around to face the balcony. She couldn't stand the pain right now. Setting down her tray of paints, she went into the kitchen to wash off her hands.

Just as she turned off the taps, she heard a thump on her balcony. Immediately pulling out a crucifix from her pocket, as it had grown to hot to touch, she walked over holding it steadily in front of her.

"Who's there?" She demanded.

No response. That's odd she thought, and then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun, and came face to face with John. She screamed.

"Nina, it's all right, it's me!" He said, embracing her. She felt shock overwhelm her. She rested her head in open-mouthed shock and had a direct look out onto the balcony.

Vlad was standing there, his eyes almost red with jealousy, confusion, and rage. His cloak billowed wildly in the wind, and his teeth were bared. Nina, in total shock of her dead fiancé's state of life and Vlad's attack pose sent her head swimming. She realized that she hadn't eaten anything the whole day, and she had always had low blood sugars. Pleading with her eyes to Vlad not to do anything, darkness slowly began to ebb at her mind and she fainted in John's arms. She prayed before she fell unconscious that Vlad wouldn't attack John.

* * *

When she woke up, she was in her room, still dressed in her paint-covered clothing. She put a hand to her pounding head and sat up. Everything seemed fine. Vlad shouldn't have been able to get in, as she had sprinkled Holy wafer around all the windows and doors. She stood up, shoved her feet into her slippers and walked into the main kitchen area. 

John was there, making breakfast. He saw her and his face lit up.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he said cheerfully. Coming over and kissing her tenderly. Nina didn't respond, but he didn't notice. "I hope you're feeling better."

"John…I don't know what to say! I thought you were dead! How did you get here? What are you…why…how?"

"We'll discuss that later. Right now, let's just get some food in you. I had seen you had been painting, and I know that you forget to eat when you're doing that. You know you have low sugar levels, Nina, you can't afford to do that to yourself."

"John, I…"

"No arguing. Just eat. Here you go," he said, pushing some eggs and sausages onto a plate and giving it to her. She took it obediently and sat down at the table. This was nice. She was living a nice, secure little moment. It was very nice.

As she took her first bite, she realized how hungry she really was. She dove into the food with a frenzy and finished the whole thing. John poured her a glass of orange juice.

"I went to your residence last night just to find your room all packed up. Your neighbour told me about Lucy and how you moved in here. So I came as quickly as I could."

Nina nodded. "It's certainly been…different since you've been gone."

He nodded. "Nina, we need to talk about a couple of things. First, it's not safe for you here anymore. If Lucy was attacked here in her own apartment, I don't think it's right for you to stay here. You don't even have to finish out the semester. You're almost done, you can take it by correspondence."

Nina stared at him, flabbergasted. "What? I can't leave!"

"Yes you can, Nina. We can do anything we want."

Why does he have to use the word 'we'? Nina thought in a daze as he continued.

"I know we discussed getting married later in the summer, but I don't see any reason why we can't just do it now! We could go to Europe, where it's safe, and get married abroad! I don't need anyone to come or be there, and I know your family wouldn't be able to come because of finances, but all that matters is we two!"

He slowed down and put a hand on hers. She startled at his touch, but didn't pull away. It was nice. Very nice. But it didn't give her tingles like it used to.

"I don't know," she managed, but he squeezed her hand and interrupted.

"Look Nina, I don't care what we do, as long as you're safe. I love you," he said gently.

Nina felt her heart shudder with the pain she was facing. Here was her fiancé; back from God knows what kind of ordeal, needing her. He had probably been expecting her to be just as in love with him as before he left. Why shouldn't he? That was what fiancées were supposed to do. That was the whole point of being engaged: to make sure that they could keep their eternal promise.

But what could she tell him? That she was in love with another man who happened to be evil and bent on destroying the world? The same man who probably tried to kill him, and succeeded in murdering Lucy? No. But what could she say?

She opened her mouth to utter some sort of weak explanation as to why she couldn't leave, when John frowned. He removed his hand and stared at hers. Nina realized with a gasp that it was her left hand, and that her wedding ring was probably still behind her residence room's radiator.

"Where's your ring?" He asked quietly.

Nina didn't know what to say.

"I-I thought you were dead!" She stuttered.

"So where is it?" He asked in the same cold tone.

She couldn't respond. She was too overwhelmed. Her sensitive nature took hold, and she remained with her head bent, trying to avoid this.

"Don't faint on me again, Nina. I wouldn't be able to handle it. Now where is it?"

Anger filled her. "_You _wouldn't be able to handle it? Do you have any idea what I've been through these past few weeks? You sent me an email saying that you didn't want to see me any more, because you weren't sure of our relationship. I got so angry that I threw the ring at the wall and it's probably still behind the radiator. Then Lucy died, and Vlad is slowly turning me into a vampire, and I'm running out of time!" As she spoke the words, she remembered the gravity of the situation.

"Who the Hell is Vlad?" John shouted, standing and clenching his fork tightly.

"All you care about is your stupid business and this stupid wedding. I've always taken second place to you, always! Vlad is Dracula, for your information, and you have no idea what we've been going through! You don't know what we've done to each other! Maybe when I'm the Queen of the Undead you'll understand what sort of bullshit I've been going through!"

"We? As in you and this Vlad? Dracula? The _thing_ who tried to kill me?"

"YES!" Screamed Nina.

He looked at her strangely, put down his fork, and left the kitchen. Five seconds later, Nina heard the door slam, signifying his departure.

Nina sobbed, quivering with every fibre in her being. So that was it. She and John were through. Well, it made it easier for dealing with Vlad, she supposed, as she got up slowly and began stacking dishes, the sobs still wracking her body. It was actually easier when John was supposedly dead.

Now that he had returned, and left, her mind became clearer and less muddled. There was no possible way that they could get back together. She had changed too much. He needed someone just as safe as he was, who wouldn't mind being an obedient, caring wife. Nina had grown past that. He was now out of the way.

Now the choice was Vlad. What would it be like to be evil? Nina pondered, her heart heavy. What would it be like to be Mistress of the Shadows? She would rule the world with the man she loved, but would she be happy?

So many questions, too many she couldn't answer. She started to untangle them slowly. Vlad had made a deal with the Devil to live forever. That would imply someday going to Hell. Seeing Vlad in Hell struck her with a paralysing fear. She couldn't let that happen, even if he had murdered so many. Her love was too strong.

So could she sacrifice the purity of her soul to be with him? One day, if the Devil went back on the deal, could she spend the rest of eternity burning away beside him? She would do it if she had to, but the thought of saving him was, of course, preferable.

Could she save him? She knew it would mean killing him. If Van Helsing knew a way to save Lucy, even in the clutches of the Undead, then she knew there had to be a way to save him.

Pray, whispered a voice in the back of her mind, and she remembered Van Helsing's advice. She headed out onto the balcony where she could be alone, knelt, and prayed feverishly.

Please God, she prayed. Please have mercy upon all of our souls. Please have mercy especially upon the soul of Lucy Westenra and Vlad Dracula. Both have good somewhere inside of them. I can feel it inside. Please, don't let them continue to walk in a path of evil. Help them find Your light. Lord, you're our only hope for their souls. I love him. I know it's wrong, and I will probably burn, but I love him. I will sacrifice myself if I could just save him.

She hoped against hope it would do something for her karmic pattern. As it was, the more she ran into Vlad, the more she wanted to be with him.

Sighing, she got up, and wandered aimlessly back into the apartment. The painted eyes of Vlad watched her mercilessly, and in a seizure of frustration, she grabbed the painting and hurled it over the balcony. She smiled in satisfaction as it disappeared into the foliage of the small forest below. In one way, she was free of him.

Feeling a little strengthened by her praying, Nina went into her room and turned on her laptop. If she were to discover any way of saving him, it would require hours of endless research. Who knows, she mused, maybe researching vampires will give me a slight advantage over them. She clicked on the button to open the Internet, pulled on her reading glasses, and took a deep breath.

"Here we go," she muttered, as she typed in the word 'vampire' for her Google search word.

* * *

That night, Van Helsing, Arthur, and Morris met at the professor's home. Each was decked in pure black, carrying stakes, crucifixes, and Holy Water. Their faces were grim as they outlined their strategy. They would find Lucy, force her back into the mausoleum, and put the stake through her heart. Arthur's lips quivered as Van Helsing explained the procedure, but he remained silent. 

Suddenly, there was a harsh knock at his door. Instantly alert, Van Helsing motioned for the other two to be silent, as he tiptoed to the door, holding the crucifix in front of him.

"One…two…three!" He shouted, hurling the door open on the latter. He began to dive, but stopped when he saw Jonathan Murray's stunned face.

"Professor?" He asked timidly, and then took in the crucifix.John's eyes bulged. "I knew it!" He said triumphantly. "You can help me!"

"Mr. Murray," said Van Helsing, taken back. "You're alive."

John grinned sheepishly. "I guess so. I take it you know all about Count Dracula?" He eyes pleaded for understanding.

"Yes, yes I do," said Van Helsing wearily. "Come inside, John."

John jumped in, excited that someone finally understood what he was going through. "So Dr. Van Helsing, can you stop this guy? I knew there was something different about you, campus rumours are true! Did you really slay a werewolf? Can we beat Dracula? Do we stand any chance? Do I need other weapons?"

When they reached the kitchen, John stopped his babbling. "Arthur, Morris," he said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

They tried to refrain from rolling their eyes. "We're here to save Lucy," said Arthur shortly. "We're members of the Order."

"Order? What Order? And what do you mean, 'save Lucy'? I thought she was dead!" John's head was spinning.

Arthur's jaw clenched, but Morris answered for him. "We're here to save her soul," he explained calmly in his Texan drawl. "As you have learned, there are terrible fates for those who have been drained by Dracula; fates worse than death."

That stemmed John's endless amount of questions. "Can I help?"

Arthur showed his hesitation by starting visibly, but Van Helsing said "Of course. I take it you have a cross on you?"

John pulled out the crucifix given to him by the Amish family. "Yes."

"And you are fairly strong? Both physically and emotionally?"

"I'd like to thinkso. My fiancée pretty much just broke up with me and I'm still okay."

"Good. You will need to be for this task. Take a stake from the bottom cupboard on the left. You'll find bottles of Holy Water stashed in there as well."

John did as he was told, and the others jumped when he chuckled as he opened the cupboard.

"What is it?" Said Van Helsing suspiciously.

"Well, I thought you meant steaks," said John bashfully. "Not stakes. You know, as in the cow?" He pulled out an Evian bottle and stared at the water that seemed to glow from inside. "Is this the Holy Water?"

"Yes," said Van Helsing irritably. "What were you expecting? Glass vials? Musty old Spell books? Dried herbs in jars, perhaps?"

"Well, sort of," said John, tucking the Evian bottle into his coat pocket.

"We're Vampire Hunters, Mr. Murray," explained Van Helsing. "Not nineteenth century fictional characters." He gestured towards the door, and the group of four disappeared into the night.

* * *

**Haha, a little joke on my behalf. Sorry this took me so long to put up, I've had it finished for a while but I've been so busy here at home. Don't come after my blood...forgive the pun. Ahahaha. **

**The next chapter has some slight gruesome content, which is why the rating changed, in case you noticed. Becausethe slaying of vampires ispretty gross, and contrary to Buffy-lovers, they don't disappear into dust when you stake them, the next chapter will have some blood and grossness involved. You have beenforewarned.**

**Thanks again to all my reviwers. Yougive me the motivation that I need. **


	15. Redemption

**I would again like to remind readers and reviewers alike that this is a gruesome chapter. This is taken from the original Bram Stoker, and not Buffy. The rating is M. You have been warned.**

* * *

That night, Nina put a hold on her research. Although many of the websites she found were strange cults dedicated to vampire-worship, she was able to find some folklore she prayed would work. 

They were afraid of Holy Water, Wafers, religious symbols, and sunlight. The symbol could be anything that represented goodness and purity, charged with the belief in its power. Crucifixes were the main choice of Vampire Hunters, though other symbols could be substituted. Garlic blossoms hold a poison for them, and if they remain too close to it they will become weak and vulnerable. Sunlight was also deadly, but not to their Leader. Whoever was the current King of the Undead could walk freely in the sun, although it wasn't pleasant for him.

They could not enter any home that they were not invited to. Lucy must have let him in somehow, mused Nina. In her sleep or consciously. During the day, the King could walk about freely but his powers were restricted. Once night falls, he would be able to transform into creatures of the night, and also command them. These could include bats or wolves. These creatures, when under a vampire's spell, become like vampires, and are also afraid of the same things that they are.

Another thing that clicked in Nina's head: they had no reflections. That would explain why she had panicked instinctively at the restaurant with Vlad. Among all of these things, as long as they continued to feed, they were immortal. The only thing that could kill them was a wooden stake through the chest or decapitation.

Nina's eyes drooped as she wandered listlessly into the kitchen. She turned on the coffee pot and ran a hand through her limp hair. She had been up for hours researching, combing the Internet for their strengths and weaknesses. Now, she had to discover a cure for Vlad.

The kitchen lights shone harshly against the table, glaring against her skin and making her turn even paler. She cradled her head in her hands and closed her eyes, trying to hide from the harshness of the light. She opened her eyes to look at her weary reflection, and then noticed it was only partially there. Her eyes were still hovering where they should be, as was her mouth, but her skin was becoming more transparent.

Panicking, Nina leapt up from the table and dove into the bathroom. She examined her face carefully, and was terrified by what she saw. Through her reflection's skin, she could see the shower curtain behind her. Her eyes were losing their spark, and her teeth were whiter, with her bicuspids getting slightly sharper against crimson lips.

"Oh my God," she whispered. She looked at the two bites on her neck, and saw that they were inflamed. Blue and red veins gathered beneath it, and putting her hand on it, she could feel her pulse, slow and sluggish.

"What's happening? Oh my God, already?" She whispered under her breath, digging through her pockets and finding the crucifix inside. She pulled it out, and then gasped in surprise as the metal burned against her flesh. She dropped it in the sink, and pulled it up by the chain. The sight of it repulsed her. Gathering her nerve, she pressed the crucifix against her forehead, praying to God that he save her. Please God, she thought before the metal touched her flesh. Please save me. She pushed.

The metal hissed and scorched against her forehead, and with a scream of agony, she pulled it back. The skin beneath was red and inflamed and steaming, and Nina hurled the cross as far away as she could. So it was finally happening. She raced out of the bathroom back to where her laptop was waiting.

As fast as she could, she typed in the words "vampyric transformation." She scrolled down until she found a site that looked like a Vampire Hunter's web domain. She opened it, and scrolled through.

"Once a vampire has initially begun the transformation of the victim, the victim will slowly change into a vampire during the course of one moon cycle."

She closed the window and opened another, searching for a moon calendar. She found one, and began scanning it. Vlad had started her transformation on the night of the Ghost Hunt, which always took place on the night of the Full Moon. It was now two weeks later. She was halfway through her transformation. She fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"No," she said aloud. "I've done enough crying for a lifetime. It won't do me any good now."

She returned to Google and began searching for Vlad's cure.

* * *

Van Helsing, the Order members and John pulled up to the cemetery in the professor's VW Beetle. Reverently, they exited the car without a word and pulled their supplies from the trunk. With a nod, Van Helsing gestured in the direction of Lucy's newly constructed Mausoleum. 

It was the night of the New Moon, and the cemetery was pitch black. Van Helsing passed them all flashlights and they switched them on.

"This way," he murmured, navigating around crypts and tombstones. The others followed grimly, careful not to make a sound. Each held a crucifix before them.

Finally, they reached the gleaming mausoleum. Van Helsing motioned for them to hide behind the gravestones that lay before it.

"She's already begun her walk. She'll return around midnight, to savour her captive and to prepare for her Sleep. We'll wait."

They crouched behind the tombstones, tense and alert, praying that they would succeed in their task. Meanwhile, Van Helsing remained standing, crumbling Holy Wafer into a thick, pasty substance he had brought along. This he place in the crevices between the doors and the walls, in strategic places.

"Now we're ready," he said, kissing the cross that hung around his neck. "May God be with us all."

* * *

Nina returned to the Vampire Hunters domain and found what she was looking for…for Lucy, but not Vlad. She read aloud. 

"When killing one of the Undead, which by classification is a victim who has been dead for three days before resurrection, it must be done accurately and properly the first time. A stake must be drive through the heart, done by one of the victim's loved ones, and then decapitation by a silver dagger, stiletto or sword."

Nina gasped as she read this, knowing that Van Helsing might be doing so as she read. She pushed herself to continue reading the final lines.

"Once the head has been severed from the body, the mouth must be stuffed with garlic blossoms and the crypt soldered shut with lead. Then the demonic spirit will leave the victim, and the victim's soul will be set free. Depending upon the mercy of God, it will either ascend or descend."

Nina finished reading, and collapsed in her chair. She felt weak and drained as she thought of how they were about to desecrate her poor body to save her. She stood, and sorted through her nightstand. Inside, she pulled out a candle and a lighter. She walked into the living room and set it down on the coffee table.

She turned off all the lights and sat before the candle on a bended knee. Nina flicked the lighter and watched as the flame danced through the air to ignite the wick.

"In the name of God," she intoned, "and all things Holy, I pray that the soul of Lucy Westenra will be given mercy and rise to heaven."

She remained there, watching the flickering candle, and praying that they would succeed in saving Lucy's soul.

* * *

Back at the graveyard, Van Helsing was filling in the others on Vampyric lore. 

"Although this thing may look like Lucy, it is not entirely she. For it is she, and yet it is not. I cannot fully explain the workings of the Undead, but Lucy is still inside, and is partially aware of her actions. However, she is not in control of them. You will need to remember this if she attempts any trickery tonight. Do not allow yourself to lose control. Or else you will join the Undead, the _Nosferatu_ as they call them in Eastern Europe, and will make more of these creatures. Whoever dies from the bite of the Undead becomes Undead in return. You will suffer the curse of immortality.

"Whoever Lucy has drained will slowly become Undead over the course of one moon cycle. Once she is freed, her victims will be free of her curse. That is why this is of extreme importance. She is the link that, once broken, will end a chain of drainages that she herself began. The marks on their throats will disappear, and they will be unaware that anything even happened.

"We serve a dual purpose here tonight, gentlemen. One is to save those who she has already drained. The second is to save her soul. If we only accomplish the former, then we will be extremely lucky. To accomplish both will be a miracle, but miracles can happen, as long as we exercise caution."

Van Helsing pressed a button on his watch, and it flashed the time.

"It's almost midnight."

* * *

At the apartment, Lucy's clocks had begun to chime the hour. Lucy's face flashed instantly into Nina's mind, and she continued to pray. 

"Lucy," she whispered. "I love you. Please God, have mercy."

* * *

"Here she comes," said Van Helsing softly, peering over the tombstone. The others followed suit. 

In the darkness, they could barely make out the form of a woman in a thin gauzy dress. She clutched something to her breast, and they could hear whimpering. She made her way up the steps of the mausoleum, and hissed in surprise.

"Hello, Lucy," said Van Helsing bravely, standing up and pointing the flashlight in her face. She squinted, the light gleaming off her bright teeth.

Arthur gasped as the light fell upon her. The beautiful white dress that she wore was covered in bloodstains, droplets of which will still falling from her chin. The figure she clutched to her chest was a small whimpering child, with marks on his neck. Impatiently, she flung him to the ground, where he lay there groaning and thrashing.

What astonished him even more was the change in Lucy. No longer did she have that mischievous spark, the glow in her skin and the loving smile. The creature that stood before them was a mockery of who Lucy used to be. Her eyes were empty of all spirit, and blazing with hellfire. Her lips were stained crimson from her feeding, and her body had grown more voluptuous and alluring.

Her display of cruelty made Arthur step back, hiding his face in his hands. She smiled, and beckoned to him.

"Come to me, Arthur," she cried, running her hands over her curves. "Come to me, my darling, and allow me to hold you, kiss you, touch you…" She walked over, revelling in her demonic beauty, and held her hands out to him.

"No!" Shouted Van Helsing, running between them with a crucifix. "You shall not have him!"

She hissed and drew back, and Arthur, remembering himself, pulled out the cross.

"Whatever you have to do, Van Helsing, do it!" He ordered, his voice breaking. "This is no longer Lucy."

She paced around them like a hungry lion, while Morris held out his crucifix, protecting them.

"Morris, my sweet Morris," she purred, as Van Helsing took out the putty from the gap between the doors, keeping it everywhere else. "Surely you still want a kiss? I was wrong to fall in love with Arthur, when I could have had you. I still want you, Morris, do you still want me?"

Morris groaned, and looked over his shoulder. "Hurry up, professor!"

Van Helsing finished. "Get back to your crypt, you foul thing!" He shouted, and Lucy disappeared into dust, which floated between the gaps of the doors back into the mausoleum.

"There," he said. "Good, gentlemen. You're doing very well. We have one final task before us; the most gruesome of them all. It will require the strength of one who loved her in her purest form, and who loves her soul still."

Arthur stepped forward. "I will."

"Good. Are you prepared to do anything that I ask? Regardless of the task?"

"Yes."

Van Helsing dug through his bag and pulled out a wooden stake. "Take this," he said, pulling out a matching sledgehammer. "And this."

He left the bag unzipped and led them up the steps of the mausoleum.

"Ready?" He asked. They nodded. "Let's go."

He heaved open the doors and waved everyone inside. "Quickly!" He ordered. Once they had all gathered inside and had put their flashlights back on, he closed the doors and reinserted the putty.

"If we fail, and she returns and kills us all, then she will still be trapped here inside," said Van Helsing calmly. He turned, and gestured them towards the monstrous marble coffin that occupied the middle of the mausoleum.

"On three," he said, placing his hands beneath the lid. "One…two…three!" They all lifted at once, and the smell of death came rushing out to meet them.

"Oh, God!" Said John, coughing. "That's awful!"

Once the air had cleared, they all looked inside.

.There was Lucy, her eyes closed and her body stiff. Her face still held the same cruelty, her mouth frozen in a mocking smile. Although she was Sleeping, her body radiated evil.

"Now, Arthur, position the stake above her heart, and drive it through until she is finally one of the Dead."

Arthur, with a pained expression on his face, put the tip of the stake above her heart.

"Forgive me, Lucy," he said. "I love you."

With all his might, he swung down on the stake.

* * *

The candlelight flickered, and Nina felt fear strike her heart. They were doing it right then, she could feel it.

* * *

The stake slid into Lucy's chest with a sickening crunch. Blood splashed up and splattered against his face; it continued to gurgle up from where the stake was position. 

Lucy bucked and reared against the stake, thrashing and biting into her lips. Her nails scraped against the marble of the coffin with a sickening screech, and Arthur cried out in agony.

"Again, Arthur!" Commanded Van Helsing.

Arthur's hand rose and fell again, driving it in deeper and filling the coffin with blood. He continued to strike the stake deeper into Lucy, driving it further and further each time. Finally, Lucy stopped, and lay peacefully, drenched in her own blood.

"There, it's done," said Van Helsing, patting Arthur on the back. "You may kiss her now, if you like."

Lucy's face was now in an expression of extreme serenity. Arthur bent down and kissed her tenderly. When his lips left hers, a gentle hazy mist flooded from her mouth and took a shape before them.

Floating before them, in a chaste white gown, was Lucy, smiling. The four men watched in complete reverence as she hovered before them, an Angel.

"My Arthur," she said fondly. "You and Nina have saved me. She sits now, in my old apartment, praying for my soul. Both of you purified me with your love."

She turned to Morris and Van Helsing. "Thank you for showing them the path," she said gently. She turned to John. "Dearest John, although it is no longer your destiny for you and Nina to be together, it is your responsibility to protect her. Although you will no longer be able to be her beloved, you must still take care of her. Cherish her, for all our sakes. She cannot be taken into the Dark."

Lucy looked into the distance, and said in a different voice, "Nina…love can change everything. Don't give up on him…there is another way."

Smiling once more at each of them, she locked eyes with Arthur and vanished.

Arthur's face was drenched in tears, and he clenched his chest with a fist, his breath coming out in heaves.

"It's okay," said John, hugging him without any embarrassment. "She's safe now, it's alright."

"We have to finish, just in case," said Van Helsing, drawing out a silver dagger. John led Arthur out of the mausoleum, while Van Helsing, with a swift motion, decapitating Lucy's body. Grimly, he lifted the bleeding head from the coffin and opened the mouth, stuffing it with garlic. He closed her staring eyes and put it back inside the coffin. He severed the top of the stake, leaving only the tip inside, and arranged Lucy's head so that it appeared that it was still attached. He tried not to grimace while trying to align all the tendons and muscles.

"I'll need all of your help again," Van Helsing said, and together, they lifted the lid of the coffin back on. He pulled out a blowtorch and some lead solder, and sealed the coffin shut.

"Rest in peace, dear Lucy," said Van Helsing, and without another word, they all left the Mausoleum, careful to leave the putty in its place. Lucy was finally at rest.

* * *

The candle flickered out, and Nina was left alone in the dark. 

_Nina…love can change everything. Don't give up on him…there is another way_

The voice echoed all around her. It infused through her body and she could feel the soul of her friend rest at peace.

"I won't give up," she answered determinedly. "I promise, Lucy."

For one moment, she could feel Lucy smile down on her.

* * *

**Well, that was as least gross as I could make it without leaving out important imagery. Don't worry, the next few chapters are much lighter. I need a bit of a break from the dark and gloomy. Maybe somemore VD/N stuff too. I hope you liked this chapter!**


	16. All's Quiet on the Romance Front

**Hello once again. I just watched an episode of Buffy where she gets to meet Dracula…awesome episode! The guy did a fairly good job…but this story's Dracula, rest assured, is much sexier. If you've seen it, believe me, the Dracula in here is much better looking. Similar hair though, but often in a ponytail and add a little shag to the style.**

**Enough about my beauteous Dracula. So you guys didn't think it was that gruesome, eh? Well, I must say that you guys are…special. A decapitation scene usually grosses me right out…but, um…okay… :S. As much as I love my reviewers, you guys are weird.**

**P.S. This chapter's a bit of a shorty…sorry. I also have to start work next week, so I'll probably only be updating on weekends. But this story won't die, hear you me!**

* * *

Lucy's words instilled a confidence in Nina that she hadn't felt in a long time. The next day, she actually managed to get up with a slight smile, and stay awake in all her classes. She even was alert enough to answer a few of the professors' questions. They smiled knowingly at her. They too had noticed the arrival of John Murray back on campus, and assumed that Nina had only been pining for her fiancé. They also didn't mention the strange scar-like mark on her forehead, which she had almost managed to hide with concealer. Nina took all this in with a shrug. Let the world think what they wanted.

After Ninahad blownout the candle and headed for bed the evening before, she was awakened by a frantic knock on her door. She sleepily answered it and was immediately swept up into a hug by Arthur.

"Thank you!" He shouted, twirling her around the living room. "Thank you so much!"

When he finally put her down, Nina managed to reply with a witty, "what are you talking about?"

The four men had traipsed into her living, exhausted and depleted, and while Nina brewed coffee, explained how Lucy told them of her prayers. They also filled her in on the story, although they tactfully left out the gruesome details. Van Helsing also called Nina "A pearl among women," which left her blushing. She had always had a sense she wasn't up to par in Van Helsing's books, but this reassured her greatly.

Once the coffee had been brewed, Nina turned on more overhead lights so that she could see where she was going. She handed cups into the gracious hands of Morris, Arthur and Van Helsing, and gawkily thrust John's cup into his hands. He took it without quite meeting her eyes.

"Is it strong enough?" She asked, looking around, and as Van Helsing took his first sip, he choked and sputtered, getting coffee all over his clothes.

"Doctor, are you all right?" Nina asked, taking his cup from him to avoid further stains.

He regained himself and pointed at her forehead.

"How did you get that?" He asked, clumsily trying to mop himself off with a handkerchief he carried in his pocket.

Nina touched the flesh of her forehead tenderly, and recoiled her hand in pain. She had forgotten about the strange, abstract burn that faintly resembled a crucifix.

"Oh," she said, embarrassed about her new state. "Um, I wanted to see how far into my transformation I was, so I…"

"You pressed the crucifix against your head," Van Helsing finished. "A test that has been used for centuries. You've been researching, Miss Nina, I can tell. And this mark on your head is almost a sign of good fortune."

"What transformation?" Interrupted John. "What are you people talking about?"

Nina only looked at him sadly. He really had no idea what he was getting into.

"How is it a sign of good fortune, doctor?" She said, ignoring John's confused face.

"As long as that mark remains on your forehead, we'll know that you are still transforming. It will disappear the second that the vampire who bit you is slain."

Nina winced. "You mean Vlad," she said hesitantly. "He'll have to be killed in order for me to be saved. I know. But isn't there another way?"

Three out of the four men regarded her strangely, but Van Helsing looked at her with eyes that echoed her sadness.

"I understand your pain, Miss Nina," he said gently. "I understand more than anyone here. I won't partake in the details, but I too know what it is like to be in love with one of the Undead."

"What the HELL is going on?" Shouted John, standing up and sloshing coffee on his expensive shirt. "In love with? Nina, don't tell me you're actually serious! You're in LOVE with this Dracula guy? Are you insane? What is the matter with you?"

Nina's eyes welled up, and Van Helsing stood to help her.

"Calm yourself, Jonathan Murray!" He ordered, his eyes blazing. "I know that your pride has taken a great blow this evening. I know that you are upset because the woman you love has informed you of her love for another. At least have the responsibility to show as much dignity as Nina in this situation! You are not the only one here with a broken heart."

It seemed as if the whole room sighed with regret and passion. Both Morris and Arthur had lost the same woman to death, Van Helsing to the Undead, John had lost Nina to Dracula, and Nina had yet to inevitably betray and slay Dracula.

After a few moments of silence, Van Helsing stood and stretched.

"Well, gentlemen, I think that this has been enough excitement for us all. We should be getting along now and leave Nina in peace."

He stood, and shortly had to sit down again because of fatigue. Nina instantly noted this and said, "Oh no, none of you are going anywhere. It's nearly two in the morning and there's no way that any of you can drive. You may stay here for tonight."

"Are you sure?" Asked Van Helsing, and when Nina nodded, he and the others accepted.

She led Arthur to Lucy's room, which had remained untouched since her death. There was another spare bedroom, which Morris offered to Van Helsing. He graciously accepted. Meanwhile, Nina dug out blankets and pillows from the storage cupboard and gave them to John and Morris, who were sleeping in the living room on the couches.

"Goodnight," she said, and heard their standard replies. She then wandered off to her own bedroom.

Just as she had turned off the light, she heard a soft knock on the door. Knowing exactly who it was, she opened it.

"Hi," said John. "Can I, uh, come in?"

"I don't know," said Nina truthfully. "I think we should just stay right here. What's up?"

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. "Not just for tonight, but really for all the time that we've been together. I've never really been there for you the way you have for me, and I am extremely sorry."

"It's okay," she answered gently, sighing. "I guess I still owe you that ring, though. I'll be sure to get it straight back to you."

John raked a hand through his hair, something Nina had once found adorable. Once.

"Actually," he had admitted, "I'd feel much happier if you'd wear it instead."

Nina's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Nina, I still love you very much. I know that right now you may feel that you're in love with this Dracula; but he's evil, and there's no way he could ever love you as much as I do."

Nina looked at him with extreme pity. "John…"

"Don't look at me like that," he begged fervently. "I don't want your pity, I just want a chance to start things over between us. Do you think you could at least give me that chance? I'll change, Nina, I promise. I'll be more attentive, I'll spend more time with you, and everything will be different. Please? Can I just come in?"

He looked so earnest; full of repentance and love that Nina's heart gave a great, pitiful shudder. He was a good man. No, he was a wonderful man, and he was offering himself completely to Nina. Nina yearned to say yes, to let him in and make everything all right, but she couldn't.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, trying not to cry. "But I can't. I'm so sorry John. I know this is the worst thing in the world to say right now, but, can't we just be friends?"

Both of them winced at the cliché. They stood there, silent, for what seemed like ages, while John's chest rose and fell with great difficulty. After eons of silence, he raised his brown, wet eyes to hers. A tear made its way down his cheeks, as he answered in a shuddering voice.

"You can count on me as a friend. No matter what, I vow to protect you against whatever enemy you face. But, no matter what, I'll always love you. I pray someday that you'll love me again."

Nina almost burst out in tears of relief. He wasn't going to be difficult. They could put this behind them.

"Thank you," she said, hugging him tightly. He clutched her to him, and didn't let go easily. "You're wrong," she added gently as she began to close the door. "You will love again. You'll meet someone, and she'll have my blessing."

She could hear him break down in the hallway as the door shut, sobbing like she had never heard him before. Although it made her heart feel worthless and unworthy, another part of her felt extremely relieved.

When she awoke that morning, she was invery high spirits. It was finally over between her and John, and they would still maintain a somewhat strained and protective relationship. She couldn't let any harm befall him because of Dracula's jealousy, and he had sworn not let her fall into evil's grasp. It was nice to have a sense of watching each other's backs. It made her feel so protected and contentthat she made pancakes for them as a treat.

Since it was still early in the morning, and the men were exhausted from their salvation of Lucy, Nina left glasses of orange juice out on the table, the spare key, and a note for them:

"Good morning everyone,

I've gone to my morning classes, as I've missed quite a few. There's orange juice at the table, pancakes keeping warm in the microwave, and there's always more food in the fridge. Please help yourselves!

When you leave, could you please lock the door, and then push the key underneath? If you need me, you can always call my cell.

Rest up, and I hope you feel better today.

All my love,

Nina."

She had grabbed her own set of keys; a travel mug filled with steaming tea and had headed off.

* * *

After finishing her classes, she grabbed her lunch from the cafeteria to go and headed out onto a field between the English and Drama buildings. She rolled out a blanket she had stuffed in her backpack that morning and her copy of Pride and Prejudice. She had always meant to finish it, yet she had never had the opportunity. Seated beneath the sun, she suddenly began to feel discomfort. Remembering that she was slowly turning into a vampire, she simply moved the blanket underneath an oak tree and resumed there. She wasn't going to let Vlad ruin even a simple picnic.

She was halfway through the tenth chapter when someone sat beside her.

"Pride and Prejudice," Vlad remarked, stretching his long legs out. "A true classic. I adore Austen's witticisms about society. It's easy to understand the pressures."

Nina set down her book on the blanket with a thud. "This whole turning into a vampire thing is extremely inconvenient," she informed him pertly. "For one thing, I can't even sit out in the sun anymore and enjoy it. I'm losing my reflection, which makes applying makeup almost impossible, and a crucifix gave me this nasty burn!" She said, pointing at her forehead.

Vlad stroked one long, pale finger down her forehead, eliciting a slight tremble from Nina. "Poor child," he murmured. "I know how it feels. As to the sun, I'm sure that you will find the moonlight a beautiful and soothing alternative. The sunlight is so harsh, while the moonlight will bathe you in a glowing splendour that will highlight your beauty. Second, you look stunning, regardless of cosmetics. Finally, when you complete the transformation, that scar will fade. We replenish ourselves, you see, and have the remarkable ability to heal ourselves through it."

His hand made its way down her collarbone, and then dropped to the blanket and the meal Nina had spread out.

"Enjoy this, my dear," he said, gesturing to a chicken wrap. "We have no hunger for it, and neither will you once you have crossed over."

"I don't want to drink the blood of others," Nina said, half angrily and half frightened. "I really don't."

"You'll discover the hunger once you join us," he said casually. "It will come. I look forward to Hunting with you. It will be an enchanting experience."

Again, Nina resisted a shudder. Succumbing to Vlad was so simple, so easy. He coaxed out a darker nature in her that longed to do all the things he promise.

"You keep saying 'when,'" Nina said, looking away. "Not 'if.'"

"Yes, because I am certain of your change. There's no way to defeat me, my love. No way to kill me, and no way to save yourself. It is inevitable."

Lucy's words flashed in her mind. She began to bundle up the picnic she had made, while Vlad watched, amused. When everything was back in place, she leaned over extremely close to him, almost brushing his lips with her own. He leaned forward hungrily, but she maintained the slight distance. Looking at him with deep love, sadness, and compassion, she whispered, "There is always another way."

She brushed her lips against his chastely, stood, slipped on her sunglasses and walked away, leaving a very astonished, intrigued and slightly concernedVlad in her wake.

* * *

**This may be the last update for awhile...I hope not, but I do have to start working. Please review! If any of you have stories you want me to review as well, I would be more than happy to. I love reading your stories!**


	17. Why did the vampire cross the road?

**Okay, stop looking at me like that. I know you are. In that angry, reproachful way that I reserve for lazy authors…I can practically see it. Anyways, I received two reviews for this story in the past two weeks, and I would like to thank those two reviewers. You helped motivate me to update. Now that I'm at University, it's kind of hectic for me to work on my independent novel as well as my fanfiction stuff, so please be patient! I've had the ending of this story worked out for a while, so just wait a bit! I plan on finishing this story, so it won't be abandoned. Fear ye not!**

**P.S. To the reviewer that did a cast list of this story, Bravo to you! I can't say that I agree about your casting for Nina, though. I'm not a big Winona Ryder fan…I was thinking more along the lines of an Emmy Rossum-like unknown actress.**

**Here we go, dear readers!**

* * *

That evening, a grim council of war was held at Professor Van Helsing's home. He stood at the top of the table, his face twisted grimly as he gazed at the soldiers he had to work with. There was Morris, who sat closest to him, playing with his thumbs. Arthur sat across from him, his head cradled in his hands. Down the table were John and Nina. Nina looked lost in a completely separate reverie, while John attempted to mask the constant glances he threw in her direction.

All were pure of heart. Yet he wondered if any possessed enough strength to put that purity to good use.

"I've called you here tonight to make a pact," Van Helsing said, causing Arthur to twitch uncomfortably. "We have reached the dreaded 'Point of no return.' I must know who is able to continue with me past this point. I must know who amongst you will accept the greatest sacrifices one can make, and who will not falter in destroying our enemy. Once you have made this pact, you cannot turn back. You must continue this fight to the death. Who amongst you is willing to make this pact?"

"I am," said Arthur in a strained voice.

"I am," said Morris.

"I will watch him suffer, and then I will kill him," said John aggressively.

Nina said nothing.

"Nina?" Coaxed Van Helsing. "My dear, we must know, for all our sakes. If you cannot make this pact, then you cannot be privy to our strategies, out of fear that you may accidentally betray us."

"I…I don't know," she said. "What you ask is to not relent until Vlad is destroyed. What if there is another way? What if we can save his soul?"

"His soul is beyond saving," said Van Helsing bitterly. "Have you not forgotten that I too loved a vampire? Yet I know that I must kill her in order to save her. Dracula made her that way. He has tried to condemn too many souls that he himself is condemned beyond any human or divine mercy."

"You don't know that."

"Damn it, Nina! This is not a game!" He pounded the table with a fist. "You must trust in me enough to know that I know what I am doing!"

"Then I am willing to make the pact with you. If I must kill him, then I must. But know this: if another option becomes available, if there is any way to save his soul, then I will take it without question."

"Fine. But know that such an option does not exist."

Nina opened her mouth and then shut it just as quickly. Instead, she only nodded stubbornly.

"The pact is made, the fellowship bonded. We will see this evil destroyed or be destroyed ourselves. So it is promised, and so it shall be done."

Grim silence hung over the room as all four of his guests filed out of the front door, neither speaking nor meeting each other's eyes. It was almost as if a secret shame had spread itself over each member, cocooning them in their own private miseries.

"Enough of this!" Shouted Van Helsing before everyone had gone beyond the lights of his front-porch. "I have had enough of this depressive state! Everyone get back here, right now!"

Slowly, they all shuffled back obediently.

"I'm going to bring you to a place where you can heal yourselves," said Dr. Van Helsing. "Your spirits are worn and exhausted. We are about to go to a place where you can refresh and gladden yourselves."

* * *

"Bowling?" Said John incredulously, as they poured out of the professor's cramped VW Beetle. "You're taking us bowling?"

"That is correct, Mr. Murray," said the Professor. "I hope you don't mind if we do ten-pin, I detest the wimpy bowling balls that they use in five-pin."

"But Nina's slowly turning into a vampire! How can you even think of doing something so…frivolous?"

"Oh, relax," said Nina, grinning eagerly. "I haven't been bowling in ages."

"That's the spirit! I plan on getting very drunk and eating at least three plates of nachos. Who's with me?" Van Helsing finished adjusting his Burberry scarf and practically leapt through the automatic doors.

"Come on, John," said Nina, tweaking his nose. "Lighten up! You'll have plenty of time to be sad when I kick your butt at bowling."

"Kick our butts?" Said Morris indignantly. "I think not, little lady. You've obviously never seen a Texan bowl."

"I'll get the beer," offered Arthur hurriedly, dashing inside.

"This will be really good for him," said Nina gently, as she linked arms with both Morris and John. "It'll help get his mind off of Lucy. Can you at least pretend to be happy for his sake?"

John's mouth twisted bitterly. "Fine," he muttered. "Van Helsing's not the only one getting drunk, though."

* * *

The next morning, Nina's increased sensitivity to sunlight was a deadly combination with her hangover. She could still smell the cheap beer on her breath, and there was a large grease stain on her blouse where a dollop of cheese fell on it. However, she felt strangely happy.

The professor's bowling cure seemed to have worked. Arthur had smiled for the first time in weeks. John was able to look at her without that sad puppy look, and Morris and the professor had down some sort of hybrid drunken dance between a waltz and a hoedown. And, true to her word, Nina had beaten them all in bowling. She didn't tell them that her slow metamorphosis was having a stimulating effect on all her senses, and her sight and aim had been improved twofold already.

"I am _so_ not going to class," she said as she stumbled out of bed, hiding her eyes from the sun. "As if it matters anyways. In two weeks I'm going full-out vampire."

That actually made her giggle as she put ground coffee into the filter.

"Professor, I can't do another essay…don't make me bite you.

"Man, this exam is making me go 'batty'… ha, ha!"

As the coffee percolated, she found herself inventing more jokes.

"This coffee sucks, but not as much as I will in a couple of weeks. Ha, ha…sucks."

She sipped her coffee and opened the paper. There was an elderly man missing from a nursing home. The patient's name was Renfield, and apparently he had been raving about bats and darkness for weeks before he had managed to escape.

"Hmm," said Nina. "If that man escaped, then my name's Mary Poppins. Vlad must have…"

She crumpled the paper and threw it in the garbage. Would that be how she would eventually survive? Feeding on the blood of the elderly? Stealing somebody's grandfather and draining him? The thought made her shudder.

Her introspection was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Yawning, she shrugged on her robe and sidestepped the table to get to the door.

She opened the door and a deliveryman was standing there.

"Are you Miss Nina Harker?"

"That's me."

"I have a delivery for you, just sign here."

She did, and he handed her a flower box. Inside was a single rose, with a card reading, "Meet me outside, beneath the ancient oak."

She sighed, and felt some of the weight returning. Wait…she paused. That was exactly what he was trying to do. Depress her into submission. That was not going to happen. Her mouth set in a determined smile; she brushed her teeth and got dressed, before grabbing a book and her keys. She slipped on her sunglasses and headed outside.

She went out into the back of the apartment complex, which was the entrance to a large brush that skirted the city. On the very edge was a massive oak tree, resplendent and calm. She sat cross-legged beneath the trunk and waited.

She didn't have to sit for very long. No sooner had she opened her book then Vlad's face popped into her vision. It was upside-down, as he was hanging down from a branch. The curious thing was that he was doing it as if he were a fly, his feet seemingly glued to the underside of a branch.

"I see that you got my message," he said casually, inspecting his nails as he hung there.

"Good morning," said Nina cheerfully. "Cute trick."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Your little revelry has left you rather chipper, hasn't it?"

"Nothing like cheap alcohol and greasy nachos. We also made a pact. I've sworn to kill you if push comes to shove, you know."

"I see. Are you even capable of such an act?"

"Perhaps. Did you have something special to say to me?"

"No, but I missed you."

"Mm. Well, haven't you ever heard of taking a picture? It's worth a thousand words you know."

"You won't exactly be showing up on any pictures any time soon, my dear. At best, you will be a faint outline, like a ghost. I won't even appear at all."

"Have you ever thought about getting out more? You know, like bowling? I recommend Larry's Bowling Centre. That's where I was last night."

"I'm a little busy constructing my army to take over the earth."

"Stress is a killer, you know. You look a little tense. Army not going as planned?"

He dropped down gracefully from the branch, landing like a cat.

"I wouldn't exactly say that," he said, grinning as he placed a finger on her cheek. "All is going well, considering that there's a meddlesome pack of university students who are convinced they can stop me."

"Can't they?" She said, flipping a page in her book. "They seem to be doing a pretty good job, considering they've only banded together two weeks ago and you've been planning this for centuries."

"Don't push me, Nina," he warned.

"Oh, and why not? You've kind of screwed me over, in case you haven't noticed. Can't you just get a girl to spend eternity with you the usual way? You know, flowers, dinner and movies?"

"You forget that you willingly drank my blood."

Oops. She _had_ forgotten that part.

"As if I had any choice! You had me cornered, and you did that weird vampire seduction thing!"

He smiled at her. "Oh, Nina, you are a constant delight to me. I don't think I've had anyone talk back to me in decades, centuries even. You do it so charmingly. We'll have to have these little get-togethers more often." The strange thing was that he actually sounded sincere.

"I'm afraid I can't," she said airily. "I may be a little bit too occupied trying to find a way to save your soul."

He shrugged. "All right. But know that in two weeks, when the transformation is complete, I will come for you."

She stood. "Not unless I come to you first, darling." She kissed his cheek. "Until then, I have a question for you."

"Anything."

"Why did the vampire give his girlfriend a blood test?"

"Nina…"

"Seriously. Why did the vampire give his girlfriend a blood test?"

"I don't know."

"To see if she was his type."

Laughing, she skipped away ignoring how the sun made her feel uncomfortable. She could beat this. Knowing that Vlad wasn't going to be around for the next two weeks made her task slightly more bearable. But for now…she had officially told a joke to the Prince of Darkness.

**A/N: All the jokes except for the one that Nina told Vlad are my own creation. That last joke I got from some random site dedicated to vampire jokes. The next few chapters are going to be the preparations for the final battle, etc. There's probably still another ten chapters to go, though, so it will continue!**


	18. Moving On

**You know what this story reminds me quite a bit of? "Mr. And Mrs. Smith." I was rereading the last chapter to write this next one, and then it clicked that this love/hate thing going on is so similar to Brangelina's situation. P.S. What do you guys think on that? Team Angelina or team Jen? You can tell me in the review. Anyways, thanks to the people who review. They're the ones who actually push me to write some more. If you guys aren't reviewing because you're lazy, then I guarantee it'll take me twice as long to update. So review, review, review!**

* * *

The Patient Formerly Known as Renfield cringed before the figure clothed in darkness itself. He had been confined to a wheelchair for just over a year when he received the summons from his Master. The Master promised him use of his legs again, promised him eternal life, promised him all the little pets in the world. All he would have to do was submit.

The Patient Formerly Known as Renfield did not even hesitate. In the nursing home he was nothing more than a name on a medical clipboard, his identity lost amongst endless pills and the frailty of his age. The Patient Formerly Known as Renfield had never been an optimistic man, and had never married or had children. Instead, he devoted his life to science in the university, dissecting animals for medical research.

Then, his body and mind slowed to the pace of molasses. There began to be patches missing in The Patient Formerly Known as Renfield's memory. He took in a lab assistant to keep his discoveries coming, and it was that lab assistant that discovered his employer's tendency to sneak in pieces of the animal he was dissecting into his mouth before blacking out. He had been ejected from the university as quickly as possible, and his legs gave out shortly after.

"Renfield," said the Master, his voice echoing in the depths of the chamber. "You have been a good and loyal servant. You have given me blood when prey were few, and although you revealed me in your sleep, you never attempted to betray me whilst conscious. For that, I have given you pets to draw blood from, to be able to regain use of your legs."

"The Master is too kind," grovelled Renfield loyally. Already he had drained four kittens of their life force that night, and the blood in his veins surged with energy.

"I have great need of you, my servant. For years, my three consorts have been harvesting … taking young, strong adults from random places all over the world, so not to draw any suspicion. They are gathering to the north, and in a matter of weeks we will launch our attack. Modern society is not equipped to fight us, for they have lost all awareness of our very existence. We will hit the capital before they even have knowledge of our presence, striking first at the prime minister and then to foreign ambassadors. They will in turn bring vampirism back to their own country, spreading the seed slowly and carefully. I have chosen Canada to be our base, as of the extremely low people to land ratio. We will have space upon which to build, as well as for our wolf brothers to still roam free."

As if on cue, the wolves lurking in the shadows uttered low, guttural growls. The Patient Formerly Known as Renfield shuddered against his will. He hated animals that were too large to rip apart. If there were to be any dismemberment, it would be the wolves doing the ripping.

"Renfield. You must focus. I can sense your mind beginning to drift."

"I apologize, Master," said Renfield, bending his knees. Partially it was to show his submission, the other half was to remind himself of the glorious miracle of walking.

"I need you now, more than ever. You are still human, but you have learned the secret of the bloods that have kept me alive for centuries. You are immune to the sun, and are therefore very key in spying. You will follow Van Helsing, but your main focus will be on Nina Harker. If she begins to shirk entirely from the sun, report it to me. Anything out of the ordinary, I must know immediately. Your second focus will be on the good doctor." The Master's voice filled with scorn. "He is occupied during the day with his classes, but night is crucial. He will undoubtedly be planning his defensive during this time, and you must inform me of any new developments."

"Yes, Master."

"At night, I will resume the post of watching Nina. But during the day, I am to the north, supervising my growing army. Once the sun is set, I may resume my flying form and return as soon as possible. Then, and only then, you may leave her to spy upon the doctor."

"I understand, Master."

"That is all, Renfield. Scurry along like a good rat, won't you?" The Master sounded weary.

"Are you well, Master?" The Patient Formerly Known as Renfield asked, turning around just before reaching the door.

"Get out," growled the Master. "And leave me and my lifeless heart alone in my contemplations."

As The Patient Formerly Known as Renfield scuttled towards the sunlight, he swore he heard the Master gasp softly.

"Nina…"

* * *

Nina had given up on University. In the context of what she faced, memorizing the birthdays of people who had long since died seemed pointless. The previous night, she had shredded all her notes and threw them off the balcony, watching them drift away from her on unseen air currents. The act had been cleansing, and liberated her conscience. Now that she no longer felt guilty about skipping class, she could focus all her attention on research.

Yesterday, before shredding her notes, she had made a special pilgrimage to a large Catholic church that sat on the edge of Campus. The old limestone had always been so appealing to her in the past, and last Christmas Eve, she and Lucy had come to hear the choir sing.

As soon as she stepped off the sidewalk to the slated front walk, she felt immediate discomfort. The world spun beneath her feet, and everything started to go dim around her. She had panicked, stumbling blindly forward; unaware of what was happening to her. Finally, she fell backwards, and crawled back to the sidewalk.

Instantly, she felt better. She stood shakily, aware of all the curious stares on her.

A middle-aged woman had approached Nina tentatively. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," said Nina, tears sliding slowly down her cheek. "I…I occasionally suffer from seizures."

"Do you want me to call you an ambulance?" The woman reached into her purse and fished out a cell phone.

"No, no! I…just need to go home."

The woman nodded and continued on her way.

Nina touched the scar on her forehead, a constant reminder of her increasingly damned state. She turned to look at the large wooden doors of the church, and instead her gaze landed on the priest that had come to stand at the door.

They locked eyes. I know what you are, said the priest's eyes. Not who, but what. Nina's eyes begged for divine forgiveness.

Finally, he made the symbol of the cross on his chest, causing Nina to physically stumble backwards.

"May God be with you and grant you mercy," he said gently, but due to her increased hearing she could pick up every word.

"Thank you," she mouthed, before turning and running as fast as she could to the apartment.

The memory was painful. Even that night, as she desperately attempted to pray, a dull fuzz filled her mind the harder she concentrated. She actually began to feel completely cut off from the divine. Time was like a cell, and she was closer to being permanently trapped in an immortal prison.

She hoped that Van Helsing and the others were coming up with better ideas than she was. Her mind was completely blank. She could only hope that Lucy's final words would come through and save both her and Vlad.

Maybe she would pay a visit to John. They still had some unresolved issues that she needed to work through. Ever since the bowling night, they had been able to be in each other's presences without being awkward.

Although it was a very warm spring day, she ensured that the most amount of skin was covered. Like Vlad had said, she would be able to walk under the sun just like him, but would feel extremely uncomfortable. He had been true to his word. The thought of being below such a stark, cruel sun filled her with revulsion. But she had no choice. John and the others belonged to the daylight. She doubted she did anymore, or ever would again.

* * *

John shuffled through the papers on his desk dejectedly. Had it only been a month ago that he and Nina had been engaged, and he was on his way to be one of Canada's top lawyers? It seemed like an eternity. Professor Harding, his supervising lawyer, had been disappointed in John's recent attitude.

"John Murray, you have so much potential. But you won't get to the top unless you let go of whoever she is that's screwing you up." The professor's mouth had twisted bitterly. "I am assuming it's a woman, right? Our minds are like perfectly functioning machines, and then a woman comes along and starts throwing wrenches in the gears. Whoever she is, she's not worth it. None of them are."

Professor Harding's wife had left him four months ago. John didn't want to end up like him.

Sighing, he filed the last of his papers and reached to the back of his desk. There, in a folder he had hidden away from his sight and the world's, were his plans. _The_ plans. The ones that had involved Nina, himself, and three kids.

He opened it slowly, trying to release his clenched stomach. There, on the very top, was a picture of Nina and himself at their engagement party. They were kissing each other passionately while holding glasses of champagne. The next picture was of Nina and John standing with both of their families. Nina's expression was strained as her parents leered into the shot, both of them looking like they had crawled straight from a Halfway house. His parents were there too, looking completely smashed but also so happy. His mother's Chanel was actually wrinkled for the first time he had ever seen, and his father's smile seemed genuine. It was a good time for them.

John gently turned the photos over and took out the next document. It was the financial estimate for a house he had designed. Attached were his hand-drawn designs, with crisp labels. There was the master bedroom and bathroom, the kids' rooms down the hall, and a library office for himself. Looking at the plans now, he wondered if maybe he should have included a library or office for Nina. It looked like a huge bachelor's home with his wife and children added on as bonus features. He had even gone as far as to design a bar in the basement for when he would have his high-profile lawyer friends over. There was nothing for Nina.

Feeling bitter, he slammed the folder shut.

"Whatever it is, it's not that bad."

He looked up and saw Brittany Port, Professor Harding's legal secretary, standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Brittany," said John, running his hands through his hair. "You startled me."

"I can have that effect on people," she said, smiling widely.

She was extremely attractive, John thought as he looked at her long legs extending beyond the hem of her black pencil skirt. Tan, blonde, slim, and looking at him in a way he had never noticed before. When he and Nina had been engaged, he had always felt attracted to Brittany, but suppressed it by keeping pictures of Nina everywhere he could. Those were all gone now.

"Professor Harding asked me to drop by and grab the Newfield papers." Was it just him, or did she have a suggestive sparkle in her eyes? She closed the door discretely behind her. "But you look so sad. Are you still upset over Nina?"

"Does everyone in the office know?" He said exasperatedly.

"News travels fast. Especially when a young, talented and handsome law student becomes available."

He looked up at her. How old was she? Twenty-five? Twenty-six? She had to be older than him, but only just so.

"You flatter me, Brittany, but there are bigger things on my mind."

"Like a promotion?" Her eyes danced. "Professor Harding thinks you're ready to take the bar, and become a member of his legal team."

John's eyes bulged. "Really?"

"Uh huh. But hush, it's a secret. I'm not supposed to tell you. Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise."

"Good. I'll just grab those documents then." She sashayed over to his desk and bent over to pick up the folder on the edge. Had her blouse always been unbuttoned that low? John didn't realize how long they remained frozen like that, with her bending invitingly over and him leaning eagerly in.

Then in a flurry of movement, they were kissing. He was grabbing anything that he could get a hold of, ripping off her blouse and tossing it to the ground. He didn't care for Brittany even in the slightest, and he knew it was mutual animal attraction. But being able to let loose and give into his demons felt so good.

Brittany had just straddled him in his chair, when the demons were suddenly silenced by the sound of the door opening.

"John?" It was the voice of an angel, and suddenly he felt like crying.

Both Brittany and he scrambled for their dignity as Nina walked into the room. Her eyes clouded in confusion as he saw Brittany stumbling around without her blouse.

"What's going on?"

John tried to button up his shirt, but Brittany's eager hands had torn off most of them. "Nina … I'm so sorry."

His demons had completely vanished, and instead was this angel with reproaching eyes.

Brittany averted her eyes and left the office, still clutching the folder to her like a safety net.

Nina closed the door behind her. "I see," she said, her face scrunched painfully. "Is it mutually agreed than that we can now become intimate with other people without causing the other pain?"

"Nina, I didn't mean that! It was pent up rage and sadness, and it all just came pouring out. I don't care for her at all, I love you!"

"No you don't, John; you're just lonely. We've gone separate ways. I came to see how you were doing, to check up on you. Maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe we've gone farther away from each other than I had hoped."

Suddenly, John burst. "Maybe? Maybe! You're in love with a vampire! You willingly gave up your mortality to become like him! You gave up me; you gave up your entire life! You gave up our future! You gave up all our hopes and dreams and plans, to go and sleep with the child of the Devil! You are nothing more than his whore!"

"Hush, John!" Nina's eyes literally flashed red, and he was silenced. "I have not given myself to him! At least not in that way. My soul was his long before we met. I cannot explain it, nor do I want to. I only want to be with him, to save him, to live every day by his side." Her eyes softened. "John, you are released from any understandings that we had. I'm not angry that you and Professor Harding's secretary were having, um, a sexual encounter. I'm just a little sad that I was the one to discover you. And yes, I am a little hurt, but only because we were together for so long. There are bound to be feelings and intentions that are lingering."

John slumped in his chair. "It hurts so much," he murmured. "It hurts knowing that you're not mine any more."

Nina sighed. "I know. It hurts me to know that I have hurt you, and I miss the safety of our relationship. But it is over, and I hope that you find peace. It could be in Brittany's arms, or in no one's, but I hope that you find it."

John's voice was muffled as he made his response. "I hope you found peace with him as well. I hope that he's worth it for you."

"He is."

"Will we ever be okay?"

"I think we are already. But you have to find your own path, John, independent of me. Just as I have to find mine."

"Fine," he said eventually. "But please, Nina, if I need help, I will come to you. Don't haunt me anymore by showing up unannounced."

She nodded. "That is fair. I'll leave you to your work."

Five minutes after Nina left, John gathered all his things, drove home, and slept for sixteen hours.

* * *

**A/N: I got in a writing mood and felt like finishing off the chapter. I'm in a bit of writer's block as to what's going to happen, but that Brittany thing was partially because of something that happened to me this week, and also partially intuitive. John needs to get over himself and stop mooning over Nina. Soooo ... please review, because that is seriously what motivates me. **


	19. Candlelit Dinner

**This chapter is for all those who have been claiming that there is not enough V/N action going on. I was inspired to write again after a couple of readers wrote me a review each, a couple days ago. So in other words, please review! They will seriously get me to get off of my keester and finish this thang. **

**This is for you two ladies, for helping me get inspired again.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a long walk back from John's office to her apartment, and the pounding glare of sunlight did little to help her. In the end, she camped out beneath a shady tree after making it about halfway home, and waited there until the evening. Then, when the sun's rage had dwindled and it surrendered beneath the tips of the tall pines, she ventured out and made it back. 

Strangely, she did not feel tired by the walk, and the intoxicatingly sweet scent of the evening was intensified by her increased sense of smell. As the stars came out, she began to feel the tingle of their light on her skin, running up and down her body. Not only that, but she began to lust for blood.

She felt hunger for food as well, but mostly, she yearned for the sense of a heartbeat melding with her own as she wet her tongue with blood…God, it would be glorious! Lazily beating away, rejuvenating her, until at last her victim was drained and she would be replenished…

"Stop it!" Nina said to herself, not caring who heard her. Luckily she had just reached the front of her apartment complex, so she dove inside and ran up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

The stairs flew past her. Her legs worked at a pace she had never moved at before. She felt no burning in her legs or lungs, and although her spirit protested, her body rejoiced. Its senses had been indeterminably magnified, she felt no fatigue, and she could _feel_ everything around her. It was all connected in a resplendently sensual web, one that she wanted to throw herself into and roll about in it.

Before she knew it, she had reached her apartment. She was about to pull out her key when the door opened on its own, and the darkness within beckoned to her. Fingers of shadow called to her, begging her to come in and feel its power. She acquiesced, and stepped in, dropping her things and hearing the door close behind her.

"I have been waiting for you," breathed a voice in her ear.

The old Nina would have spun around, searching, but instead she waited like a coiled up spring.

"I thought that you couldn't come in," she murmured. "The Professor was very sure of that."

Vlad chuckled in the darkness. "My dear, I had already been invited in. Garlic and crucifixes will keep away ordinary vampires, true, but not their King. For me, it was only a mild discomfort. Besides, you wanted to me to come. I could hear your inner self call to me. It is rejoicing in the gift I have given you."

Nina shivered, and it wasn't because of cold or fear. This was something else entirely.

"Where are you?"

"Let your eyes embrace the darkness. Don't fight it…use it."

Nina frowned, but did as he said. At first, it was still as dark as before. Then suddenly…

She could see! The room was not any brighter than before, nor did it appear lit, but she could see and sense everything. Vlad was standing two feet in front of her, watching her expression with hungry eyes.

"There, you see?" He said, and she watched his lips form the words. "It is a gift, Nina, not a curse. A joy, not a sorrow. We are at the peak of the food chain, the mightiest of the mighty. There is no need to apologize or feel guilty for our state: we are who we are. And we are creatures of darkness and strength. But you have had a long day under a merciless sun. Dine with me."

She watched him lift his hand in a graceful sweep, and flames leapt up everywhere, springing to life on the wicks of hundreds of candles that had been positioned around the apartment. Her table had been brought into the centre, and two wine goblets sparkled crimson. The entire apartment had been transformed. No longer was it simple, sweet and tasteful; but daring, passionate and elegant.

Vlad, attired in a black button-up shirt and black jeans, moved behind one of the chairs. He pulled it out for her, with a grand, "Milady."

She took her seat, feeling glamorous and terrifying. This…Super-Nina was so much more impressive than quiet, passive Nina. Vlad sat opposite her, and gestured at her glass. It was one she hadn't seen before, crystal and jewelled. Inside, a thick red liquid glistened magnetically, pulling her in.

"What is this?" She asked, although she already knew. She could smell its coppery tang.

"Blood," he replied simply. "Not of a human. I went hunting tonight, and brought you back the blood of the finest stag within one hundred miles."

An image flashed into Nina's mind; of the hunt, of the excitement of the chase, and of Vlad's predatory power. He truly was the King.

She didn't realize it, but she had been swirling the blood in clockwise circles, gazing at it hungrily. It called to her, she realized. She wanted to drink it.

She met his eyes, and almost gasped. He was watching her with a passionate intensity, his eyes almost luminous. He was hungry for her, and hungry for her to be like him. She released her fingers from the glass, looking away.

"Your energy will dwindle unless you drink," he said gently, but with a scarcely guarded eagerness. "If you do not, then you won't have the energy to fight me…that is, if you still want to."

Defiantly, she gripped her fingers around the stem of the glass once more.

"To the saving of your soul," she toasted, drinking deeply.

It was a rush. The ultimate adrenaline rush. As the stag's blood poured down her throat, she could feel all her cells opening in joyful salutations to greet it. It flowed through every cell in her being, and when the glass left her lips, she gasped in the surprise of the pleasure. Everything seemed to be in a hazy, pleasurable state. Her entire being rose and fell, awakening from its mortal sleep.

And suddenly…

Vlad was there. He swooped down on her, lifting her out of her chair and pinning her forcibly up against a wall.

"You see? Do you see, Nina? Why would you want to save me from this? Why would you want to save yourself from this? You could feel like that eternally! You could feel the very pulse of life on your tongue whenever you wished! Think of it, Nina!"

"But you want to kill everyone!" She whimpered.

He growled in frustration, and in a swift movement grabbed her shoulders and pushed harder against her. "I don't! I want to create more of our kind, yes, but not to overrun the planet! That would be foolish! Just as the shark needs many fish to sustain its life, so too do we. I am establishing us as the ruling species, the top of the ladder so to speak. That is what we have always been, but too long have we been hiding in the shadows, striking only when we think it is safe! The world will be run by a kingdom of vampires, and humans shall carry out their lives as they were meant to…by feeding us.

"And you, my Nina, will take your place at my side, ruling forever."

The haze in Nina's head had cleared, and instead was replaced by more need. Taking Vlad's shoulders, with a passionate cry she shoved him across the room and against the opposite wall. There, she dug her fingers into his hair and kissed him.

She could sense his surprise, and his pleasure in her ferocity. He pulled her to him, squeezing her and running his hands down her back. She cried out, but it was not in pain.

"I want you," she breathed, as he ran kisses down her neck. He dwindled on her collarbone, delighting in the rapid pounding of her heart, and ripped open her shirt. He was about to go further when she grabbed him beneath his chin and pulled him back to standing.

She lunged at his chest with a fervour unknown to both of them. She ripped open his shirt, running her fingers over the densely packed muscles, and then grabbed the collar, spun him around, and threw him onto the floor, launching herself on top.

The candles glowed softly around them, softening the lines of their flesh and making them crave more. Vlad was just in the process of undoing Nina's bra when he heard her soft voice in his ear.

"I love you."

His hands froze. Time slowed. For the first time, he could sense something deeper than the pleasures of his flesh and mind. Something…spiritual, hovering within his reach. It offered him salvation, care, and peace. All he had to do was surrender…

"NO!" He shouted, pushing her off of him. She stared at him, clutching herself, the desire in her eyes not gone but muted.

"What did you do!" He demanded, struggling to stand up. "What have you done to me!"

"What?" asked Nina, tears springing into her eyes. "I love you, Vlad! I just told you I love you! You knew that!"

His chest was heaving. "No," he raved, "I'll never surrender. I was destined to rule! I'll have this world, and everything in it, including you! I will rule you, Nina, I won't be bowed by you!"

He lifted her up under the arms, ignoring her struggling. He clamped his mouth over hers, pushing his power deep over her. You will give in to me, you will fear me, and you will come to me…

When he was satisfied that it was thoroughly imprinted in her, he released her, and transformed into a mist that floated out the open window. As he left, all the candles extinguished simultaneously, leaving Nina half-dressed in an unsatisfied puddle on the ground.

* * *

**Ha ha, I bet you all thought they were going to do it, didn't you? Hee, hee, hee. No, I really am not too big of a fan of writing out sex scenes, but I will give y'all a taste. I hope this lived up to your expectations!**

**Oh, and to the one reviewer, I do speak French, but I don't live in Quebec, so I don't know about Dracula the musical. I knew about the ballet going on in Ottawa, though, I really wanted to go to that.**


	20. Chapter 20

First and foremost, thank you all for your patience with me.

Essentially, I've been on a writing hiatus as I've just finished up my degree and now I am working full time.

But...I've been getting your emails. Every time that I've been added as a favourite author or story (thanks for that, by the way...), I've though, "I should start writing again."

I don't know what changed, but last week, I realized that should just buckle down and finish the damn thing!

Since I started this story well over five years ago, the writing style may shift a little; but at the core, the characters will remain the same and the story will continue along as I had originally planned.

Look for an update by June 18th!

Once again, thank you for your patience and encouragement ... I've needed your comments to push me through this.


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